Read Online When She Wasn't Looking by Helenkay Dimon - Free Book Online Page B

sensed the guy had a personal stake in her, and held back. When he took her out, I followed to keep track for you and, well, hell, the guy saw me and went ballistic.”
    The more Cade heard about Porter, the harder Cade’s headache hammered. So many years, so much planning. Having it ruined by a cop with a hard case of lust made Cade want to punch something.
    “Tell me about Courtney Allen,” Cade said.
    “It’s her. Different name but definitely a match to the woman you’ve been hunting.”
    Cade hadn’t known he was holding his breath until it rushed out of him. “Good.”
    “But something else is going on.”
    Cade didn’t move. There was no way Paul could know every detail. “Meaning?”
    “She got into trouble out in the forest. Before that, I heard him at her front door, talking about some other woman.”
    Cade’s world shifted back into place. Paul didn’t know. He hadn’t figured out every detail.
    Paul snapped his fingers. “Maggie or Margaret. Something like that.”
    The headache thundered until Cade could barely hear anything else. “Taynor. The name is Margaret Taynor.”
    “That’s it. The name sounds familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Who is she?”
    “A lawyer.”
    Paul held up his hands. “That narrows it down. We only know about ten thousand of them in D.C.”
    “A dead one.”
    All amusement left Paul’s face. His anger highlighted the bruise around his eye. “Look, Cade. I said I’d take a few days off and help you out, play a part, so you could reel this witness in, but—”
    “She’s not a witness.”
    Paul’s mouth dropped open. “You mean she’s really wanted on something?”
    “Yes.”
    “What the…” His bed whirred as he hit the button and struggled to sit up. “Why didn’t you do this job by the rules? This isn’t like you.”
    “We don’t have time for explanations. Suffice to say I haven’t told you everything, but I will.”
    “I don’t like it. You’re messing with my life here, Cade.”
    He glanced over his shoulder and saw the officer talking on the phone. “I’m going to see about getting you out of here and erasing any record of your time here except the official record, which I’ll write.”
    “How are you going to get all of the people here to stay quiet? I’ve had law enforcement crawling all over me since I arrived.”
    “Let me worry about that. Your job is to get dressed. When the nurse comes in, I want you to be ready to go.”
    “To where?”
    “Home, and don’t talk to anyone. Keep with the same story. Flash the badge and refuse to comment on a pending investigation.” Cade thought about the file in his car. “I’ll handle Courtney from here.”
    * * *
    S EEING C OURTNEY FIGHT ALL DAY , watching the fear fall over her and her push it back, made Jonas view her in a certain way. Tough, determined, not afraid to break the rules.
    He’d prepared his mind for a criminal past even as the rest of him rebelled at that thought. He expected talk about some minor crimes in her past that didn’t matter. He preferred that to an ex who hurt her and had her on the run.
    But the gem about her name being new threw him. Even with every ounce of energy drained from his broken body, he’d fidgeted in that chair for hours the night before thinking about what she didn’t say.
    Nothing readied him for news of a mass murder.
    Standing next to her now, seeing the energy bounce off her as she gripped the folder as if it were the only thing holding her upright, showed him another side. Vulnerable. This wasn’t about her refusing to own up to something. This was about her wading right into the middle of a disaster.
    A dead body in the forest. A rogue FBI agent. And now a tossed house.
    He could forget about sleep for at least another day. No way was he leaving her alone or with anyone else. Jonas trusted Walt and Rich with his life, but that didn’t mean he could walk away.
    Not from this. Not from her.
    “When and where?” he