Read Online The Common Thread by Jaime Maddox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jaime Maddox
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men.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Angelica met his gaze. Staring at him silently for a moment to prove her continued dissatisfaction, she finally shared her thoughts. “If you find Katie’s kids, you’ll find Katie. Children and Youth Services will take them to the ER for a check-up. Once they see everything’s okay, they’ll send them to some foster home. Katie doesn’t have any family to take care of them, does she?”
“No, she was an orphan. That’s how she got all the money—from a car crash, I think. She didn’t have any family to take her in, so she ended up with Billy.”
“Well, then, let’s find the kids.”
Leaning back in his chair, Simon began to laugh. Once again, she amazed him. He’d been sitting there, thinking of all the friends she might have run to, frustrated that he didn’t know as much about Katie as he should have. Since she was the significant other of a man who worked for him, he should have been keeping a closer eye on her. But Katie was just plain boring. She didn’t do anything illegal anymore, and her pathetic little life revolved around those two brats she was raising. “I knew there was a reason I stay with you.”
The odds were better if he moved quickly, so Simon picked up the phone and began dialing from the list of numbers Angelica had given to him. “This is Mr. Obama, like the president,” he said to the woman who answered the phone in the ER. He spoke carefully, enunciating each word, a far cry from the language he used on the streets. “I’m with Children and Youth Services. Have those children from the shooting scene arrived yet?”
He waited while she checked. A minute later she was back on the line, telling him they weren’t there. The response was the same at two other hospitals, but on the fourth attempt he hit the jackpot. A very helpful woman told him the children had been brought in by the police and had already been evaluated by the doctor on duty. When he arrived they would be awaiting him in treatment room thirteen.
“Lucky thirteen!” Simon said. He grabbed a garbage bag from the kitchen and deposited the pile of clothes into it, everything from his shirt to his shoes. He couldn’t take a chance that a single drop of Billy’s blood had splattered onto him. Then he turned on the shower and climbed in, thinking of a plan.
Chapter Seven
Unrest
Nic couldn’t sleep. She was exhausted and her eyes felt like sand, but as she lay in the darkness of her room, her mind wouldn’t stop racing. She was nervous about the next day and irritated about her fight with Louis.
When Rae had finally left their apartment, Nic exploded, venting all of her fury at Louis. “Why did you ask me to dinner if you planned to spend the night talking to her?” she’d demanded.
“I wouldn’t have spent the night talking to her if you hadn’t spent the night sulking!”
“How could you forget the tickets?”
“I didn’t forget them! They were sold out.”
“How could you go to the Ritz without me?”
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? We’re not married, for Christ’s sake. We’re friends. At least I thought we were.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“What the fuck does it sound like?”
Nic took a deep breath and tried to let go of her anger. She was hurt, and she wanted Louis to know that. “Why did you have to invite her? This was supposed to be a special night for us. We haven’t seen each other in months.”
He was still angry, though. “Believe me, it wasn’t my idea. As far as I’m concerned, she’s much too nice for you. But she’s been bugging me to introduce you ever since she saw your picture, and I didn’t have a good excuse not to. I guess I should have just told her that you’re a royal bitch and she’d be better off staying away from you.”
Now Nic was mad again. Louis had drawn blood. “Maybe you should have!”
“I’m going to bed!” he said before he stormed off.
When she went into his
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Angelica met his gaze. Staring at him silently for a moment to prove her continued dissatisfaction, she finally shared her thoughts. “If you find Katie’s kids, you’ll find Katie. Children and Youth Services will take them to the ER for a check-up. Once they see everything’s okay, they’ll send them to some foster home. Katie doesn’t have any family to take care of them, does she?”
“No, she was an orphan. That’s how she got all the money—from a car crash, I think. She didn’t have any family to take her in, so she ended up with Billy.”
“Well, then, let’s find the kids.”
Leaning back in his chair, Simon began to laugh. Once again, she amazed him. He’d been sitting there, thinking of all the friends she might have run to, frustrated that he didn’t know as much about Katie as he should have. Since she was the significant other of a man who worked for him, he should have been keeping a closer eye on her. But Katie was just plain boring. She didn’t do anything illegal anymore, and her pathetic little life revolved around those two brats she was raising. “I knew there was a reason I stay with you.”
The odds were better if he moved quickly, so Simon picked up the phone and began dialing from the list of numbers Angelica had given to him. “This is Mr. Obama, like the president,” he said to the woman who answered the phone in the ER. He spoke carefully, enunciating each word, a far cry from the language he used on the streets. “I’m with Children and Youth Services. Have those children from the shooting scene arrived yet?”
He waited while she checked. A minute later she was back on the line, telling him they weren’t there. The response was the same at two other hospitals, but on the fourth attempt he hit the jackpot. A very helpful woman told him the children had been brought in by the police and had already been evaluated by the doctor on duty. When he arrived they would be awaiting him in treatment room thirteen.
“Lucky thirteen!” Simon said. He grabbed a garbage bag from the kitchen and deposited the pile of clothes into it, everything from his shirt to his shoes. He couldn’t take a chance that a single drop of Billy’s blood had splattered onto him. Then he turned on the shower and climbed in, thinking of a plan.
Chapter Seven
Unrest
Nic couldn’t sleep. She was exhausted and her eyes felt like sand, but as she lay in the darkness of her room, her mind wouldn’t stop racing. She was nervous about the next day and irritated about her fight with Louis.
When Rae had finally left their apartment, Nic exploded, venting all of her fury at Louis. “Why did you ask me to dinner if you planned to spend the night talking to her?” she’d demanded.
“I wouldn’t have spent the night talking to her if you hadn’t spent the night sulking!”
“How could you forget the tickets?”
“I didn’t forget them! They were sold out.”
“How could you go to the Ritz without me?”
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? We’re not married, for Christ’s sake. We’re friends. At least I thought we were.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“What the fuck does it sound like?”
Nic took a deep breath and tried to let go of her anger. She was hurt, and she wanted Louis to know that. “Why did you have to invite her? This was supposed to be a special night for us. We haven’t seen each other in months.”
He was still angry, though. “Believe me, it wasn’t my idea. As far as I’m concerned, she’s much too nice for you. But she’s been bugging me to introduce you ever since she saw your picture, and I didn’t have a good excuse not to. I guess I should have just told her that you’re a royal bitch and she’d be better off staying away from you.”
Now Nic was mad again. Louis had drawn blood. “Maybe you should have!”
“I’m going to bed!” he said before he stormed off.
When she went into his
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