Read Online Midnight Exposure by Melinda Leigh - Free Book Online Page A

brilliant white light exploded in her head. She pitched forward and was caught. She was barely cognizant of movement and the agony that ricocheted through her skull before darkness consumed her.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    “Hey, Brandon.” Scott crammed his books into his backpack and shut his locker. He turned down the near-empty hallway and tapped his buddy Brandon on the shoulder. “Hang on a minute, dude.”
    Brandon whirled, wide-eyed.
    “Whoa. Relax.” Scott backed away a step, hands in front of his chest, palms forward in the classic stick-’em-up position. “I just wanted to see if you were gonna be online later for a little Halo action.”
    “Sorry, man. No can do.” Brandon ran a shaky hand through his spiked blond hair. “I got a couple hours community service to do over at the Youth Center.” Brandon’s eyes shifted toward the open glass-and-metal door at the end of the hall, where a dull gray sky promised snow. “Looks like the mayor’ll have me shoveling sidewalks all weekend.”
    Both boys turned and headed for the doors.
    “Shit. I forgot. How many more hours did you get?” Scott yanked his hood out from under the back of his jacket and flipped it over his head.
    Brandon huffed. “Fucking Judge Hard-Ass gave me two hundred.”
    “That sucks.” Stiff penalty for getting caught with a couple of beers, Scott thought.
    “You know how it is. People hear the name Griffin and automatically think I’m the
bad seed
.” Brandon’s mouth thinned down to a razor’s edge. With a deadbeat dad and a brother in prison, everyone assumed Brandon was a troublemaker. The judge had handed down the harshest sentence possible for what Scott thought was a minor infraction.
    “That sucks.”
    “Yeah.” Brandon nodded.
    “You working at the auto shop tonight, too?”
    Brandon shook his head. “Gotta be home by eight to watch my little brothers. Mom’s tending bar tonight.”
    “You’ve been putting service time in every day. Is Hall a total prick to work for?”
    “No.” Brandon’s face flushed with emotion. Anger? Frustration? He stiffened and faced Scott, his jaw set for a fight. “Mayor Hall’s cool. If he hadn’t stepped in, I might’ve gone to jail. My mom ain’t exactly rolling in cash for a fancy lawyer.”
    “Hey, I’m sorry, man,” Scott said. Mrs. Griffin worked two jobs, but she didn’t make much money.
    “No. My bad. I’m kinda jumpy. We’re cool.” Brandon blinked hard. His gaze dropped to the backpack clenched in his hands. “But really, Hall’s OK. He lets Mom waitress at the diner a couple of shifts a week.”
    “That’s great’cause I’m supposed to help out with the winter coat drive on Monday.” Not that Scott was thrilled with spending six hours at the Youth Center sorting used clothing, but this was senior year and his college applications were sorely lacking in community service. Mayor Hall
had
been cool about letting him jump into the Teen Community Service program midyear. Maybe he wasn’t all that bad. “You gonna do the clothing drive?” Scott asked.
    “Yeah. I’ll be there. The storm should be over, and it sure as hell beats some of the other stuff I’ve had to do.” Brandon drifted a few feet away, heading toward the sidewalk that led to the town’s center a few blocks away. “I gotta go.”
    “You want a ride?” Scott nodded toward his dad’s truck as it pulled up to the curb.
    “No, thanks.” Brandon waved over his shoulder.
    “See ya.” Scott opened the door of the Yukon and tossed his backpack over the seat. The mayor might have done him a favor, but he still didn’t envy his friend and all the hours Brandon had to spend with the guy.

    Reed dished steaming lasagna onto two plates. At his feet, Sheba wagged her tail hopefully. “Scott, dinner’s ready.”
    Reed scooped a cup of kibble into the dog’s bowl. Sheba pointedly ignored her food. “That’s all you’re getting.”
    Her blue eyes said, “We’ll see.”
    His son ambled in and slid