Read Online Exposed by Judith Graves - Free Book Online

the kids milling around. “Everyone else, get back to work.” He strode into his office, leaving the door open for me to follow.
    I felt the stares of everyone as I entered the office and closed the door on their disgruntled faces. In the muffled quiet of Link’s office, I watched as he paced the narrow room. I leaned my back against the door. Waiting. I’d learned over the years that Link would talk when he was good and ready. Push too hard, too fast, and he just clammed up.
    Not what I wanted.
    Finally he found his words. “Diesel sent a group out on another run. I told him it was too soon after Supersize, that no one’s head was in the game, but you know how he’s been.”
    Boy, did I. I nodded.
    “Kat got sloppy. She was picked up by the cops.”
    I swore under my breath. So much for getting her in on my plan.
    “Diesel is at his paranoid best. Now that you’re back, the warehouse is officially on lockdown.”
    “What does that even mean?”
    Link shrugged. “Just what you probably think it means. The police force will be hunting down all the car jockies they can track. No one comes in or out, unless it’s to do a job.”
    “For how long?” Crap. While I’d been focused on staying out of Diesel’s way, things around the warehouse had been steadily getting worse. I’d been in denial, really, hanging out with Jo at the houseboat, helping her adjust to life with a semipermanent roof over her head. I kept thinking she’d take off at any moment and head back to the streets, but the girl was smart. She knew when to lie low.
    In her case, it was the right move. In mine? Not so much. Avoiding the warehouse seemed to have only made things worse.
    “Until his cops say the pressure’s off. Until we know Kat hasn’t talked. We don’t want anyone to put her together with Supersize. Right now, the cops have declared his death an accident. But we can’t have any more incidents like that.”
    Incident, right. Diesel had to pay.
    But how could I put my plan into action if I couldn’t even leave the warehouse?
    I slapped my hands on my thighs. “But what about school? I’m not the only one who goes. The semester is almost over. I have exams…”
    “You’ll catch up. You always do. And trust me, the others don’t care as much. You’re the only one stressing over school.”
    “Maybe. But did you see them out there?” I gestured at the door. “They’re ready to bolt, Link. You can’t keep us trapped in here. We’re not rats in a cage.”
    “You don’t get it, Raven.” Link grabbed my arms and gave me a shake. “There’s more at stake than you know. I need you to get those kids under control. Work on them until you get them to sit tight and I can get Diesel to ease up. Talk to them—they trust you.”
    “Yeah, right.” I let out a huff. “After what happened with…” I couldn’t even say his name out loud. “They blame me, Link. Everybody does. Everyone turned against me. Even you.”
    “No, you’re wrong.” Link’s jaw worked. “We were shocked, that’s all. Couldn’t believe what Diesel was trying to pull. Pointing the finger at you when we knew exactly who sent the kid on a suicide mission. I tried to tell them, but they won’t listen to me. They’ll do what you say. I’ll try to keep the heat off you, but if—”
    A knock at the door interrupted whatever Link had been about to say. He released me just as the door opened.
    Diesel’s goons—or, as I called them, since Diesel had never offered their names, Thing 1 and Thing 2—stood in the doorway. “Is there a problem?”
    “Not at all, my friends. Just filling Raven in on the situation.” Link gave me a push. “Well, get a move on, girl.” He gave me a steely look. “You know what to do.”
    I sucked in a slow breath. Coming to terms with this new reality. I should have left and sailed away on Big Daddy when I had the chance. This haven, our home, had become a prison. And I had to talk everyone into accepting