Read Online Material Witness by Lisa Mondello, L. A. Mondello - Free Book Online Page A

share. She wouldn't have to pretend to feel
anything, as Cassie had done with Dennis. CJ was comfortable with the primitive
dance of giving and taking on all planes. She could meet Jake Santos, and all
the desire and passion he could unearth in her, head on and give back just as
much.
    But Cassie wasn’t CJ.
    Jake's deep voice pulled her from her
reverie. “You seem a little more relaxed now.”
    Cassie straightened her back, trying
to pretend Jake's touch had no effect on her, that she hadn't been thinking of
what it would be like to have his rough hands roam the length of her body. Now
wasn't the time to be thinking of meaningless, mind-altering sex. She had to
figure out how she could stay alive while taking back control of her life.
    “I'm fine.”
    Jake stepped away from the chair,
leaving her cold in his absence. Voices out in the hall drew their attention to
the door. Kevin opened it.
    “Are you two ready for this?” he
asked.
    “No, but then I wasn't ready to be
witness to a barroom shooting last night, either. So I guess it doesn't
matter.”
    Jake placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Whatever happens, it's going to be okay, Cassie. Just remember that.”
    As she rose from her chair, Cassie
wondered just whose benefit those words were for. She didn’t feel it. In the
short time she'd known Jake, he'd been up front with her. She could trust him.
And that was the most vital thing she could cling to right now.
    The noise in the hall grew louder as
they approached the interrogation room door. Jake turned back to her, his eyes
settling on her for a brief moment as he hesitated.
    “You're shivering. Are you cold?”
    Cassie stood then, mindlessly wiping
her sweaty palms on her denim-covered thighs, feeling shakier by the moment
with the prospect of being caught in a tug of war, with her being a frayed
rope. Regardless, she had to put one foot in front of the other and keep doing
it until she felt her unraveling world twist back into place.
    She slipped her hands into her front
pockets to hide their obvious trembling. “I'm fine. Really.”
    The look of compassion on Jake's face
was almost heartbreaking. She was just a material witness in a case he was
involved with. He was doing his job. Cassie wasn't a part of his life for any
other reason. Playing the nice, agreeable witness would most likely make Jake’s
job, and everyone else’s, a lot easier.
    His lips stretched into a smile,
revealing the lone dimple that marked his cheek, and her heart beat at a
dizzying rate.
    Trust. Yes, she could trust Jake Santos.
    “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go meet
the woman of the hour.”
    * * *
    “I want her out of the city. In fact,
I don’t want her anywhere near the state of Rhode Island.”
    Captain Russo had succeeded in
pulling some strings all right. But what he'd managed to pull, Special Agent
Charlotte Tate managed to snag right back.
    “She wants to remain at home.”
    “That’s out of the question,” Charley
said, pacing the floor. “We can protect her better in Virginia.”
    “She wants to be home,” Jake said.
    “Near you?” Charley said
sarcastically. “I don’t even want to know what that’s all about. But I warn you,
Jake. If you’ve done anything to compromise this investigation—”
    “Easy, Charlotte.” Agent Radcowski
had remained quiet for most of the discussion. “I’m sure the detective is as
eager to see Fagnelio’s head roll as we are. After all, he could have been killed
last night, too.”
    “I’m just relaying what Cassie has
said to me,” Jake said. “You have my report. It’s complete. I haven’t slept
since last night and I’m not in the mood for—”
    Charley swung around mid-pace to face
him. “I don’t really care what you’re in the mood for.”
    Radcowski cleared his throat. “We’re
all a little jumpy this morning. Agent Novak was a friend of mine as well. His
loss at the Bureau will be felt for a long time. But let’s stay focused.
Keeping Ms. Alvarez in