Read Online RELENTLESS by Helenkay Dimon - Free Book Online Page B

“We need to know what we’re dealing with.”
    “Whatever it is just happened, so I’m thinking this is about the last month, if it’s about me at all.”
    Interesting how she defined the time parameter. Ben knew that meant something. There was something in her past she wanted to hide. With his personality, that was exactly where he now wanted to dig.
    She deserved privacy, and a part of him wanted to discover things about her normally, like non-agents did. Over meals and while watching movies on the couch.
    But life had been rapid-firing disasters at them from the beginning. He couldn’t figure out how to slow it all down now and double back.
    And her past could hold the key to what was happening today. The way Joel eyed her, Ben knew he planned to call upon all of his search skills, which were considerable, to hunt this one down.
    Ben wanted to be the one to find whatever was to be found about her. Give her some dignity in not having the whole group know, if that was her preference. So, he’d try to get answers from her, and if that failed, he’d step carefully and keep the search narrow. He owed her that.
    “We’ll circle back to what we need to check in your past later.” Connor’s gaze traveled over the table. “You know what else this means, right? We’re on lockdown protocol. Pax and Kelsey move in with Davis and Lara.”
    That was how the system worked. It was one of the many fail-safes they put in place. They drew in close, making it difficult for anyone to grab one of them. Ben was surprised Connor wasn’t insisting they all bunk with him. That was the usual rule.
    More than likely had something to do with the pregnancy announcement. Lara would want to be home and tough-guy Davis would do backflips to make it happen. Connor’s decision to carve out an exception allowed them all to skip the arguing step.
    Jocelyn leaned closer to Ben. “Who’s Kelsey?”
    “Pax’s live-in girlfriend.”
    Pax groaned. “She’s going to love this.”
    “You want her safe,” Connor pointed out.
    “And she’ll insist on opening her store.” Jocelyn opened her mouth, but before she could ask, Pax filled in the blanks. “She owns a coffee shop not far from the City Dock. We live above it.”
    Connor’s hand balled into a fist. “No one goes to work unless you’re working at the Corcoran offices.”
    “Wait a second.” Jocelyn pushed back her chair and stood. “Stop.”
    Joel smiled. “I’m surprised you waited until now to jump in and say that.”
    “I have nursing shifts. I can’t just disappear or fall out of rotation.”
    Joel’s grin didn’t lessen one bit. “Use the excuse that you were attacked at home.”
    “Since it’s true,” Davis said.
    They were using the wrong strategy. Ben had been negotiating meals with this woman for weeks. She’d stick up for others before she did for herself. He had finally got her to say yes to a date when he pointed out the hospital staff had taken up a pool to see how many times he’d get shot down. He had no trouble using pity for the first date. After that, pity was off the table.
    But the reality was, he wasn’t the only one on that side of the table with a rescue complex. “If someone is after you, they could follow you right to the hospital floor and endanger patients, other nurses, innocent visitors checking on sick relatives.”
    Joel made an explosion sound. “And he goes right for the gut shot.”
    She sat down hard. Clenched her teeth together, looking as if she wanted to yell at Ben for taking that route. “That’s not cool.”
    He didn’t budge. Didn’t give her a way out of lessening the possible tragic outcome. If anything, he was tempted to start listing all sorts of horrible things that could go wrong. “But it’s true.”
    She saved them all from hearing more. “Impressive argument...and also a winning one.”
    “I had a few hours last night to work on it.” Long hours of not sleeping and a few worrying she’d shimmy out the