Read Online Freedom's Price by Suzanne Brockmann - Free Book Online Page A

the kitchen, too, but again, little light came through the glass. She looked at it closely, wondering if a good washing might help.
    The landlord came in behind her and switched on the overhead light. Liam was right behind him. “Mara, let’s go. There’s no way you can live here. It’s too…small.”
    It
was
small. The kitchen could barely hold the three of them.
    “Hey, look. It’s got a microwave.” Marisala turned toward the landlord. “Does this come with the place?”
    “Yeah, see, there’s no regular oven.”
    “How does it work?”
    “Just make sure the door’s latched, turn the dial to the time, and press start.”
    Marisala pressed start, and the appliance hummed.
    “Mara.” There was something, an added intensity or urgency in Liam’s voice that made her look over her shoulder as she went into the tiny bathroom and turned on the light. “It’s too
small
. Let’s
go
.”
    The muscles were working in Liam’s jaw as he clenched his teeth. He was stony-faced and unsmiling, his cheekbones standing out in sharp relief. There were actually beads of sweat above his upper lip. That was odd. It wasn’t all that hot in here.
    “Liam, are you all—”
    The lights went out. With the sudden pop of a blown fuse, they were plunged into gloomy darkness.
    The landlord cursed. “The microwave’s on the same current as the bathroom fan and the load’s too much for it. I’ve got to get that fixed. The box is up in my apartment. I’ll be right back.”
    “Mara, I can’t stand it. We have to get out of here,” Liam said hoarsely. He was little more than a shadowy shape in the gloom. “
Right now
.”
    She understood then. In a flash, it was absolutely clear. He’d spent close to eighteen months of his life in a cell, certainly underground, and probably in the dark. “Go,” she said. “Quickly.”
    His voice was tight. “I can’t leave you here.”
    “I’m right behind you,” she said, moving toward him.
    She heard him bolt for the door, heard him stumble as he went up the stairs, heard the door slam open as he pushed his way outside.
    Marisala followed as quickly as she could and found him leaning against his car, both hands braced on the hood, head down. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah.” His eyes were closed and he was still breathing hard. He was shaking, but when she reached for him, he pulled away. “Don’t. Just give me a minute, will you?”
    He was ashamed. She saw the tinge of pink across his cheeks. She could almost feel his mortification.
    He sat down, right there on the curb, trying hard to slow his breathing.
    Marisala sat down next to him, careful not to touch him. “Why didn’t you just wait outside?”
    He turned to look at her then, anger and shame still glistening in his eyes. “Because I didn’t want you alone in there with that guy. He gave me the creeps.”
    He’d gone in there for her. He’d known what going down those stairs would do to him, and yet he’d done it anyway. For her. He’d done it because she was too stupid to figure out why exactly he was so adamant that she not rent a basement apartment.
    How could she have been so insensitive? It didn’t take much to realize he’d spent nearly a year and a half underground. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
    Liam shook his head. “It’s no big deal. So I can’t handle basements. So what?”
    They sat for a moment in silence.
    “You never told me,” Marisala said finally, “about all those months you spent in the prison. You told your brother about it, didn’t you?”
    “No.”
    “You
did
talk to
some
one?…”
    Liam shook his head. “I didn’t want to talk about it. I still don’t. I don’t want to
think
about it.”
    “Mother of God, Liam, you just can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
    “You wanna bet?”
    “No,” she said, purposely taking him literally. “I don’t want to bet. I want you to find someone to talk to about this. If it’s still affecting you this way after all these