Read Online Rules of Survival (Entangled Embrace) by Jus Accardo - Free Book Online Page A

from?”
    “Mom liked to keep stuff tucked away for a rainy day.” I waved the cash, then pulled the rubber band off and took a closer look, gasping. In my hand was a stack of hundreds—not twenties. “But, um, this is a little more than I’m used to…”
    “There’s gotta be at least several grand there…”
    “Mom was a hoarder,” I lied. “Any money she made from whatever work she could find got squirreled away. We lived pretty thin.”
    Well, only half a lie. We had lived on fumes, but that was because work was few and far between. Mom never wanted to settle in one place long enough to get a real job. We lived off whatever she managed to con and steal. One year, for my birthday, she lifted an old man’s credit card to give me a day at Six Flags. I never said a word, but I had a hard time really enjoying it knowing that the whole trip had been stolen from someone else. We saw the man an hour later, still out by the gate, searching for his card so he could get his three screaming grandkids inside the park.
    I stuffed half of the cash back into the box. Next, I pocketed what was left, putting some in the right front pocket and some in the left. Mom’s rule was never keep it all in one place. Just in case. “We should see if we can find a hardware store. Maybe get these cuffs off.”
    “Aww,” he said, flashing me a smile that made my stomach flutter just a little. “What’s the matter? Being so close to me make you nervous?”
    I returned the smile and tugged him toward the door. “More like sick.”

Chapter Seven
    By early afternoon, the allure of small towns wore off big-time. “How can there be no hardware store in this damned town?”
    Shaun shrugged but didn’t seem overly concerned. We were standing in front of a small strip mall, a few blocks over from the post office. He pointed to a pay phone a few feet away. “No idea, but there’s a phone. Lemme try Pat again.”
    Without waiting for me to follow, he started forward and nearly ripped my arm from its socket. If we didn’t get these cuffs off soon, one of us was going to lose a limb. And possibly other appendages we’d need down the line. And by one of us, I was thinking Shaun…
    I angled myself closer as he dialed, determined to hear both sides of the conversation. He smelled like the jacket. Peppermint and leather. It was just a little distracting, and I found myself leaning closer than I needed to.
    It rang five times before someone picked up.
    “Pat?” Shaun asked. The relief in his voice was unmistakable and gave me a small smidgeon of hope. He had been worried. And if he was worried, then a small part of him believed me.
    “Shaun?” Pat growled. In the background a horn blared. “Where the hell are you?”
    “We were ambushed. Needed to bail.”
    “I can see that,” Pat responded drily. “Heard about it, too. You made one hell of a scene getting out. When I said stay inconspicuous, jumping from the third floor into the hotel swimming pool isn’t what I meant.”
    Shaun’s jaw tensed. “We didn’t necessarily jump… Things got hot, Pat. Those guys didn’t drop in for a round of fantasy football. They were there for blood.”
    Patrick sighed. “Are you all right? Is the kid still with you?”
    “I’m fine. It was tight, though. Whoever they are, these guys mean business.” He adjusted the phone, trying to lean away from me. “And yeah. I’ve got her. How did the meeting go? Did you find out anything about these people?”
    I ignored his subtle attempt at privacy and leaned close again. This involved me—more than it involved him. I’d be damned if I was getting shut out.
    “Jaffe says they weren’t his.”
    Shaun’s eyes met mine. For a second, he said nothing. Then, with a sigh, asked, “And you believe him?”
    “What reason would he have to lie? He hired me to bring her in safely. I’ll admit some things have come to light that make me believe this case isn’t as simple as I originally thought,