Read Online Shattered by Dani Pettrey - Free Book Online Page A

bangs framing her beautifully sculpted face. Enchanting . “What?”
    “Meredith Blake. How do you know her?”
    Gage grimaced. He was wrong. Not a pixie, more like a gnat.
    “The assistant D.A. . . . You obviously know her.” Impatience skirted her tone.
    He glanced down the hall at Meredith fielding questions like a pro, the glow of ego and ambition radiant upon her. “I did, once.” Or at least he thought he had.
    “When was that?” The pixie shoved a recorder in his face.
    He swatted it away. “Who are you?”
    “Darcy St. James,” she said proudly. “I’m a reporter.”
    “With which paper?” he asked, oddly curious which bloodsucking paper she leeched for.
    “ Ski Times ,” she said, with a bit less enthusiasm.
    Was she serious? “ Ski Times ?” He tried not to chuckle. “I can’t imagine them covering this type of trial.”
    “Trial. Ski trial . . . criminal trial . . . witty. But I assure you, Ski Times is always after stories that affect athletes. I’m sure they’d be interested in your brother’s trial—and if not, there are plenty of hard-hitting periodicals that will be.”
    So . . . she was looking to make a name for herself. “I’ve got news for you, honey.” He stooped to meet her five-foot-four gaze head on. “Exploiting my family is not going to be the hard-hitting news story that gets you there. So shoo off,” he said with a flick of his hand.
    “Shoo off?” She huffed. “And who are you to call me honey ?” With each word she poked his chest—her delicate finger inflicting surprising force. “If you don’t want to answer my questions, I’ll just go ask Meredith. I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to offer a response.”
    “Then you obviously don’t know Meredith,” he said dryly. She wouldn’t give an aspiring reporter the time of day. That was the thing with climbers—they only had use for the people on the rungs above, never the ones below.

    Darcy St. James stalked away from the brutish McKenna brother. He was gorgeous, but he certainly wasn’t charming. What was his problem, anyway? She’d asked a valid question, and he’d belittled her—his brisk nature, a neon confirmation that she’d hit the mark. There was definitely a connection between him and the assistant D.A. The color had drained from his face the instant Meredith Blake entered the courthouse—a mixture of love and anguish swimming in his heather-gray eyes.
    Irritation churned inside as she stalked across the courthouse lobby, the heels of her boots thumping. How dare he insinuate she was trying to exploit his family? He hadn’t even given her a chance to explain. If he hadn’t been so bullheaded and confrontational, she could have explained that she was trying to help.
    She’d interviewed Reef McKenna numerous times in the past, and the news of his arrest for Karli Davis’s murder had flat out shocked her. While the evidence looked bad, she was not one to jump on the party wagon. Especially when that party wagon was gunning for reelection. She wanted to dig deeper. To make sure they actually had the right man behind bars. If not, the real killer was still out there. And if so, what had happened? How had Reef McKenna gone from the charming, playful athlete she’d known to a killer?
    There were so many questions to be answered. It seemed only right to begin with those who knew Reef best, with his family. Perhaps she should have approached it differently, not jumped on her curiosity about the McKenna brother and the assistant D.A. But there was definitely a connection there, and it had shifted her focus.
    She studied Meredith Blake in the limelight—her flawless complexion radiant in the glow of camera flashes, her shoulders squared and her brow high. What had gone on with the pair?

    Landon guided the McKennas into the break room. “Okay, I managed to get you a group visitation. You can meet with him here, but Slidell insists a deputy remain with you at all