Read Online Naked Risk (Shatterproof #3) by Jordan Burke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jordan Burke
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name. The time read 3:13 p.m. Shit, only three hours of sleep.
I touched the screen to answer and before I could say anything she was saying, “Watts, Watts, oh my God.”
I sat up. “What is it?”
She was full-on crying now, stuttering out the words: “Th-they were in my apartment.”
“Who was?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where are you?” I said, becoming fully awake now as adrenaline spiked in my blood.
“Outside my building. My car. I’m in my car. I can’t go in there.”
I grabbed the keys to my rental car and was heading out the door. “Drive to that gas station around the corner and wait for me. Park next to the front door where it’s busy. Go now.”
I hung up.
Spencer had apparently heard me talking loudly in the hallway. He opened his door. “I can’t get to sleep and your yelling isn’t going to help. Jesus, man, what’s wrong?”
I blew past him, walking quickly. “I’ll be back here in thirty minutes.”
“Need me to come along?”
I swung open the door to the stairwell , said “No” to Spencer, and ran down the stairs.
I replayed Catherine’s words in my mind as I sped toward her apartment building.
They were in my apartment.
Who? And what had happened? My mind raced with possibilities. Maybe she’d been robbed. Or maybe someone had trashed her place, making it look like a robbery to scare her, maybe one of McDowell’s strong-arms. But that didn’t make sense.
Fucking wake up, Watts, and get your mind straight, I kept thinking.
They were in my apartment.
She was terrified. I couldn’t get to her fast enough, and while I was speeding, I realized the last thing I needed was to be held up by some cop.
I made it to the gas station in under ten minutes. She had parked next to the doorway to the store just as I’d told her. I parked on the other side of the lot and walked toward her. I made sure to walk near the front of her car so I wouldn’t have to knock on her window and startle her.
The second Catherine saw me she reached for the handle, pulled the door open and ran to me. She buried her face in my chest as I wrapped my arms around her, just letting her sob. There was no point in asking questions when she wouldn’t be able to form coherent words.
When she did calm down a little, I said, “Let’s get back in the car.”
I opened the door for her and she sat in the driver’s seat. I went around and got into the passenger’s seat, closing the door and asking her what happened.
She told me everything that had happened after gett ing back home from her day out.
I asked her some questions, going through it again, making her tell me step-by-step, right up until the part where she opened her dresser drawer and discovered that several pairs of her panties and some of her bras were missing.
“I had just done laundry,” she said. “The drawer was full earlier and when I opened it…it was just so obvious. I freaked and ran out.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “You’re safe now.” I waited for a short time before asking, “This is the second rose? Was anything missing the first time?”
“Yes, the first one was a few weeks ago, and nothing was missing. Well, not that I noticed. I don’t know.” She wiped her nose and mouth with a napkin. “I really thought the rose was from you. The second time, I mean.”
My heart sank in response to her words, but I had to keep my emotions in check.
“You didn’t call the police,” I said.
She shook her head. “I called you. I was going to call them, but then I realized that once I called you… .if they showed up….well, you know.”
I nodded. “I need the key to your place.”
She turned her head sharply toward me. “What? Why?”
“I’m going there, and you’re staying here.”
She shook her head, reaching for the ignition and grabbing her keys. “Don’t leave.”
“I won’t be long. Stay here. You’ll be safe. Trust me, Catherine.”
She reluctantly handed me her keys. I removed her
I touched the screen to answer and before I could say anything she was saying, “Watts, Watts, oh my God.”
I sat up. “What is it?”
She was full-on crying now, stuttering out the words: “Th-they were in my apartment.”
“Who was?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where are you?” I said, becoming fully awake now as adrenaline spiked in my blood.
“Outside my building. My car. I’m in my car. I can’t go in there.”
I grabbed the keys to my rental car and was heading out the door. “Drive to that gas station around the corner and wait for me. Park next to the front door where it’s busy. Go now.”
I hung up.
Spencer had apparently heard me talking loudly in the hallway. He opened his door. “I can’t get to sleep and your yelling isn’t going to help. Jesus, man, what’s wrong?”
I blew past him, walking quickly. “I’ll be back here in thirty minutes.”
“Need me to come along?”
I swung open the door to the stairwell , said “No” to Spencer, and ran down the stairs.
I replayed Catherine’s words in my mind as I sped toward her apartment building.
They were in my apartment.
Who? And what had happened? My mind raced with possibilities. Maybe she’d been robbed. Or maybe someone had trashed her place, making it look like a robbery to scare her, maybe one of McDowell’s strong-arms. But that didn’t make sense.
Fucking wake up, Watts, and get your mind straight, I kept thinking.
They were in my apartment.
She was terrified. I couldn’t get to her fast enough, and while I was speeding, I realized the last thing I needed was to be held up by some cop.
I made it to the gas station in under ten minutes. She had parked next to the doorway to the store just as I’d told her. I parked on the other side of the lot and walked toward her. I made sure to walk near the front of her car so I wouldn’t have to knock on her window and startle her.
The second Catherine saw me she reached for the handle, pulled the door open and ran to me. She buried her face in my chest as I wrapped my arms around her, just letting her sob. There was no point in asking questions when she wouldn’t be able to form coherent words.
When she did calm down a little, I said, “Let’s get back in the car.”
I opened the door for her and she sat in the driver’s seat. I went around and got into the passenger’s seat, closing the door and asking her what happened.
She told me everything that had happened after gett ing back home from her day out.
I asked her some questions, going through it again, making her tell me step-by-step, right up until the part where she opened her dresser drawer and discovered that several pairs of her panties and some of her bras were missing.
“I had just done laundry,” she said. “The drawer was full earlier and when I opened it…it was just so obvious. I freaked and ran out.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “You’re safe now.” I waited for a short time before asking, “This is the second rose? Was anything missing the first time?”
“Yes, the first one was a few weeks ago, and nothing was missing. Well, not that I noticed. I don’t know.” She wiped her nose and mouth with a napkin. “I really thought the rose was from you. The second time, I mean.”
My heart sank in response to her words, but I had to keep my emotions in check.
“You didn’t call the police,” I said.
She shook her head. “I called you. I was going to call them, but then I realized that once I called you… .if they showed up….well, you know.”
I nodded. “I need the key to your place.”
She turned her head sharply toward me. “What? Why?”
“I’m going there, and you’re staying here.”
She shook her head, reaching for the ignition and grabbing her keys. “Don’t leave.”
“I won’t be long. Stay here. You’ll be safe. Trust me, Catherine.”
She reluctantly handed me her keys. I removed her
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