Read Online Played by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page A

tired.”
    “No, you’re just lying—again. I wish you could trust me, Christina. If Evan is using you in some way, if he has some hold over you, tell me. I can help.” It occurred to him that Evan might have some hold over her father. From what he knew of Christina so far, her weakness seemed to be her dad, and J.T. knew better than most that when it came to fathers, Evan knew just how to strike.
    For a split second Christina seemed to waver; then she straightened her shoulders and threw back her head. “Everything is fine. If I need your help, I’ll ask. But for now, I’m going home.”

    Half an hour later, J.T. walked into his hotel room at the downtown Holiday Inn, feeling both tired and wired. He shouldn’t have had that third cup of coffee. But caffeine aside, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep; he had too much on his mind. And it wasn’t just Evan’s mocking smile that played through his head; it was Christina’s image, her mysterious green eyes, her soft, lying lips.
    His gut tightened as he remembered the way she’d avoided his questions. She was protecting someone—was it Evan? Or was it her father, who seemed a more likely possibility? If Evan was blackmailing her, she might feel compelled to go along. She certainly seemed to be protective of her dad. He couldn’t blame her for that.
    He should have been so protective when it came to his own father. If he’d been more attentive, more thoughtful, his family would still be together. His father would be alive. His mother wouldn’t be wasting away with grief. And he…well, he’d probably be living a much different life right now. Everything had changed after Evan, every single last thing. But he couldn’t think about any of that now. He had to focus on the present, not the past. What was done was done.
    Throwing his keys down on the dresser, J.T. took out his laptop computer and sat on the bed. While waiting for the computer to boot up, he flipped on the television. He ran through the channels, pausing at one of the sports talk shows. They were interviewing a guy he’d played with in college. Henry Redeker, a star running back at Cal, had gone on to play for the New York Jets and had just announced his retirement from the game after eleven years.
    Eleven years! J.T. shook his head. It was hard to believe so much time had passed since they’d graduated. Henry had had the life that J.T. was supposed to have had, the one his father had wanted for him with every breath he took.
    J.T. thought back to all those years, all those practices, all those late nights at the park when it had been just him and his dad throwing passes until it was too dark to see.
    In the beginning it was a shared dream; then it had become an obsession—at least for his father. They’d had so many heated arguments about what he should want for himself, what he should do, how he should act. He’d disappointed his father on so many occasions, never being quite good enough, even when it seemed he was being as good as he could possibly be. But his father had always shaken his head and told him he could do better. At times there had been nothing but hate between them. Unfortunately, it was the other times that brought him the pain now.
    J.T. let out a breath, wishing he could find a way to keep those memories out of his head. He needed to catch Evan, if for no other reason than to lock the door on his past. Once Evan was in jail, he would never, ever have to revisit those days again.
    He turned the channel, relieved to find a late-night comedy show. Stupid jokes about the day’s events were just what he needed now. He was used to cold, impersonal hotel rooms, late and lonely nights on the road. Most of the time he didn’t care. It was part of the job, and he had no one in Los Angeles who was waiting for him to come home or wondering where he was, so his life worked. But for some reason tonight he felt restless and frustrated.
    He hated when things didn’t add up, when he