Read Online Tales of Chills and Thrills: The Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Novels) by J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman
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she didn’t hate her so much she could probably like her.
Booting up her computer, she began poring over her notes. Of course, Rafe had singled her out. Saying it was time for results. Time for her to find the connections they all were looking for. Why her? Damn, as if she didn’t want to find them! But she had inkling that Rafe might be right. Staring at her screen, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she already had all the information she needed. She just needed to put it together, to do what Rafe said. Let her instincts play out, give them rein.
She pulled up the pictures of the three girls. They were all beautiful, and painfully young. They each wore too much makeup, more than she did. Everything about them was stylish and mature, except for their eyes. She shook her head. Damn. Remembering what she was like at seventeen, she looked beneath the surface, beneath the makeup, the bravado and the layers of privilege. She focused first on Hillary’s face, then Sophie’s, and then Cindy’s. She forced herself to meet their eyes. Hold them in her thoughts and listen. Listen for the clues that would come if she could quiet her mind long enough to hear them.
Caleb rapped on the desk twice before she shook loose and looked up at him. For once, he wasn’t smiling. Rather he looked as sober as she felt.
“Hey, hotstuff. You look like you’re doing some serious thinking. Anything?”
Nicki shook her head and tried to cast off her annoyance. She was close, so close, but no matter how hard she tried, the thoughts wouldn’t jell.
“Hate to bother you, Nicki. But it’s almost 1100 hours.” He added with a teasing grin. “That would be military time.”
Nicki frowned, feeling the heat burn her cheeks. She remembered her snotty comment and the surprise on all the men’s faces at her rudeness. She struggled, wanting to say something to Caleb, to apologize, to explain. But she couldn’t. The words stuck in her throat. If they didn’t make sense to her how could they to Caleb. No, better to leave well enough alone. She was a bitch. And Katya was perfect. So be it. She could live with that. It looked like she would have to.
She unwound her stiff body from the chair. A sure sign that she’d been concentrating. But now she needed to move. Hmm, ordinarily when she felt like this, she would go for a pounding run. Guess sparring with the “chosen one” would have to suffice.
“Thanks, Caleb. I lost track of time.”
She headed toward the doorway when Caleb hollered out, “I’d tell you to kick butt, but maybe I’ll hold that thought.”
Nicki almost laughed. He really was a piece of work. She just wished it wasn’t so obvious to everyone, even Caleb, that she was jealous. Yep. An angry, jealous bitch. She shrugged and headed toward the sparring ring.
Turning the corner she stopped, horrified. Katya and Rafe were standing by the ring, deep in conversation. It looked as though Rafe was comforting her. His hands were on her shoulders. She was gazing up at him. At that moment, Katya rested her head against Rafe’s chest and his arms slipped down around her waist. They stood like that for a long moment, then Rafe lifted her chin with one hand and smiled down at her. She barely came to his shoulder. She was so small, so fragile, and so feminine. Bile surged in Nicki’s throat, She stumbled back around the corner leaning against the wall to keep from falling. Gulping deep raspy mouthfuls of air, she bent over, her hands on her knees, willing herself not to throw up.
She tried to ignore what she had seen. Find an explanation. Anything to account for the scene burning in her brain. But she knew what it was. It was Rafe. The Rafe all the men envied, the Rafe that women whispered about. The Rafe who brought her to the edge of a fierce orgasm begging, sobbing for more… then told her she wasn’t the kind of woman he fucked. The more she thought about it—the more she envisioned Rafe’s arms around Katya, the more she
Booting up her computer, she began poring over her notes. Of course, Rafe had singled her out. Saying it was time for results. Time for her to find the connections they all were looking for. Why her? Damn, as if she didn’t want to find them! But she had inkling that Rafe might be right. Staring at her screen, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she already had all the information she needed. She just needed to put it together, to do what Rafe said. Let her instincts play out, give them rein.
She pulled up the pictures of the three girls. They were all beautiful, and painfully young. They each wore too much makeup, more than she did. Everything about them was stylish and mature, except for their eyes. She shook her head. Damn. Remembering what she was like at seventeen, she looked beneath the surface, beneath the makeup, the bravado and the layers of privilege. She focused first on Hillary’s face, then Sophie’s, and then Cindy’s. She forced herself to meet their eyes. Hold them in her thoughts and listen. Listen for the clues that would come if she could quiet her mind long enough to hear them.
Caleb rapped on the desk twice before she shook loose and looked up at him. For once, he wasn’t smiling. Rather he looked as sober as she felt.
“Hey, hotstuff. You look like you’re doing some serious thinking. Anything?”
Nicki shook her head and tried to cast off her annoyance. She was close, so close, but no matter how hard she tried, the thoughts wouldn’t jell.
“Hate to bother you, Nicki. But it’s almost 1100 hours.” He added with a teasing grin. “That would be military time.”
Nicki frowned, feeling the heat burn her cheeks. She remembered her snotty comment and the surprise on all the men’s faces at her rudeness. She struggled, wanting to say something to Caleb, to apologize, to explain. But she couldn’t. The words stuck in her throat. If they didn’t make sense to her how could they to Caleb. No, better to leave well enough alone. She was a bitch. And Katya was perfect. So be it. She could live with that. It looked like she would have to.
She unwound her stiff body from the chair. A sure sign that she’d been concentrating. But now she needed to move. Hmm, ordinarily when she felt like this, she would go for a pounding run. Guess sparring with the “chosen one” would have to suffice.
“Thanks, Caleb. I lost track of time.”
She headed toward the doorway when Caleb hollered out, “I’d tell you to kick butt, but maybe I’ll hold that thought.”
Nicki almost laughed. He really was a piece of work. She just wished it wasn’t so obvious to everyone, even Caleb, that she was jealous. Yep. An angry, jealous bitch. She shrugged and headed toward the sparring ring.
Turning the corner she stopped, horrified. Katya and Rafe were standing by the ring, deep in conversation. It looked as though Rafe was comforting her. His hands were on her shoulders. She was gazing up at him. At that moment, Katya rested her head against Rafe’s chest and his arms slipped down around her waist. They stood like that for a long moment, then Rafe lifted her chin with one hand and smiled down at her. She barely came to his shoulder. She was so small, so fragile, and so feminine. Bile surged in Nicki’s throat, She stumbled back around the corner leaning against the wall to keep from falling. Gulping deep raspy mouthfuls of air, she bent over, her hands on her knees, willing herself not to throw up.
She tried to ignore what she had seen. Find an explanation. Anything to account for the scene burning in her brain. But she knew what it was. It was Rafe. The Rafe all the men envied, the Rafe that women whispered about. The Rafe who brought her to the edge of a fierce orgasm begging, sobbing for more… then told her she wasn’t the kind of woman he fucked. The more she thought about it—the more she envisioned Rafe’s arms around Katya, the more she
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