Read Online Fatal Exposure by Gail Barrett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gail Barrett
Ads: Link
version of his brother with the defiant teenager who’d run away from home. “I don’t know. He’d changed so much toward the end. I hardly knew him anymore.”
“That was the drugs. Addicts become obsessed. If you threaten their addiction, they lash out. But he admired you, Parker. He mentioned you sometimes.”
His heart wobbled hard. He struggled to draw a breath, his chest suddenly too tight. The year after his father died had been pure hell—coping with his father’s treachery, dealing with Tommy’s addiction. All they’d done was fight. He’d figured that Tommy despised him, that he’d lumped him in with his father, considering the accusations he’d hurled his way.
“Helping a runaway isn’t easy.” Her voice was gentler now. “You can only do so much. After that, it’s up to them.”
Still grappling with his emotions, he met her eyes. And despite his vow to keep his distance, her understanding reeled him in. Tempting. Soothing. Making him ache to pull her closer and bask in her healing warmth.
Making him realize exactly how many years he’d felt alone.
His cell phone chimed. Returning to reality, he struggled to clear his head. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he stay objective around Brynn? He was falling under her spell, breaking the most basic rule of law enforcement and letting her get to him.
And he never got involved with a suspect. He never even dated a woman connected to the force. He kept his private life completely separate, what little there’d been of it these past few years.
His phone rang again. Grateful for the distraction, he pulled it from his jacket pocket and checked the screen. Delgado had sent him a text message. His pulse quickened as he pulled it up.
Donut break’s over. Get back here ASAP. The Colonel’s pissed.
He muttered a curse. Lieutenant Lewis must have contacted Colonel Hoffman and revealed that he’d requested a copy of the Walker girl’s file.
“Is something wrong?” Brynn asked.
Wrong? He’d just been caught in a lie. His job could be on the line. “I need to get back to the office.”
“I’ve got things I need to do, too,” she said quickly. “Why don’t we meet again tomorrow afternoon?”
Instantly suspicious, he snapped his gaze to hers. “Why not sooner?”
“I’ve got errands to run. I need a new cell phone, for one thing. And Jamie won’t be awake in the morning. I thought I’d visit that camp in the meantime and try to get an impression of the place.”
Not without him. He was already in this case too deep. And if there was any chance that kid had been murdered, he needed to know. “I’ll go with you. I’ll drive.”
Hesitating, she searched his eyes. “All right, we’ll go together. Ten o’clock?”
He nodded. “At your house?”
“No. I’m not going back there tonight.” She named a place downtown.
“Good.” Knowing that he owed her, he plunged his hand through his hair. “Listen, Brynn. About my brother—”
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow, okay? When we’ve got more time?”
“Tomorrow, then.”
She spun on her heels and walked away. He watched her merge into the shadows, her slender hips swaying, her russet-colored hair a beacon in the encroaching night. And suddenly, he realized he was reluctant to let her go.
And it had nothing to do with his brother’s death.
Chapter 5
“I don’t know what you did,” Delgado warned as Parker tossed his jacket over the back of his desk chair half an hour later. “But you’ve really pissed the Colonel off.”
No kidding. The hush that had followed in his wake as he’d walked the gauntlet through his office had already clued him in.
“Your timing sucks, too.” Delgado leaned back against the cubicle’s upholstered wall, a smirk on his dusky face. “What with that gang leader’s release from prison and all.”
Parker shot him a scowl, annoyed at his gleeful tone. Bad enough that Delgado had charmed his way up the career ladder, getting
“That was the drugs. Addicts become obsessed. If you threaten their addiction, they lash out. But he admired you, Parker. He mentioned you sometimes.”
His heart wobbled hard. He struggled to draw a breath, his chest suddenly too tight. The year after his father died had been pure hell—coping with his father’s treachery, dealing with Tommy’s addiction. All they’d done was fight. He’d figured that Tommy despised him, that he’d lumped him in with his father, considering the accusations he’d hurled his way.
“Helping a runaway isn’t easy.” Her voice was gentler now. “You can only do so much. After that, it’s up to them.”
Still grappling with his emotions, he met her eyes. And despite his vow to keep his distance, her understanding reeled him in. Tempting. Soothing. Making him ache to pull her closer and bask in her healing warmth.
Making him realize exactly how many years he’d felt alone.
His cell phone chimed. Returning to reality, he struggled to clear his head. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he stay objective around Brynn? He was falling under her spell, breaking the most basic rule of law enforcement and letting her get to him.
And he never got involved with a suspect. He never even dated a woman connected to the force. He kept his private life completely separate, what little there’d been of it these past few years.
His phone rang again. Grateful for the distraction, he pulled it from his jacket pocket and checked the screen. Delgado had sent him a text message. His pulse quickened as he pulled it up.
Donut break’s over. Get back here ASAP. The Colonel’s pissed.
He muttered a curse. Lieutenant Lewis must have contacted Colonel Hoffman and revealed that he’d requested a copy of the Walker girl’s file.
“Is something wrong?” Brynn asked.
Wrong? He’d just been caught in a lie. His job could be on the line. “I need to get back to the office.”
“I’ve got things I need to do, too,” she said quickly. “Why don’t we meet again tomorrow afternoon?”
Instantly suspicious, he snapped his gaze to hers. “Why not sooner?”
“I’ve got errands to run. I need a new cell phone, for one thing. And Jamie won’t be awake in the morning. I thought I’d visit that camp in the meantime and try to get an impression of the place.”
Not without him. He was already in this case too deep. And if there was any chance that kid had been murdered, he needed to know. “I’ll go with you. I’ll drive.”
Hesitating, she searched his eyes. “All right, we’ll go together. Ten o’clock?”
He nodded. “At your house?”
“No. I’m not going back there tonight.” She named a place downtown.
“Good.” Knowing that he owed her, he plunged his hand through his hair. “Listen, Brynn. About my brother—”
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow, okay? When we’ve got more time?”
“Tomorrow, then.”
She spun on her heels and walked away. He watched her merge into the shadows, her slender hips swaying, her russet-colored hair a beacon in the encroaching night. And suddenly, he realized he was reluctant to let her go.
And it had nothing to do with his brother’s death.
Chapter 5
“I don’t know what you did,” Delgado warned as Parker tossed his jacket over the back of his desk chair half an hour later. “But you’ve really pissed the Colonel off.”
No kidding. The hush that had followed in his wake as he’d walked the gauntlet through his office had already clued him in.
“Your timing sucks, too.” Delgado leaned back against the cubicle’s upholstered wall, a smirk on his dusky face. “What with that gang leader’s release from prison and all.”
Parker shot him a scowl, annoyed at his gleeful tone. Bad enough that Delgado had charmed his way up the career ladder, getting
Similar Books
