Armed and Dangerous Read Online Free Page B

Armed and Dangerous
Pages:
Go to
an electric opener and poured the wine.
    â€œYou’re supposed to let it breathe, but I never wait that long,” he said, taking a sip.
    â€œMe, either.” She sipped hers too, and found it was a really good wine.
    He studied her as he spoke. “Speaking of work, did you hear about the case Taylor caught?”
    â€œI don’t think so. Why?”
    â€œThe naked floater they found in the river on Monday? She was murdered.”
    â€œReally? What was the cause of death?”
    â€œThey’re not sure yet. No water in the lungs ruled out drowning. The ME says there were traces of Rohypnol in her system, but the only marks on her body were made by ligatures on her wrists.”
    â€œDate rape gone bad?” Immediately she cursed her stupid tongue. Shane’s sister had been date raped in high school, and it took years for her to recover emotionally. “I’m so sorry.”
    â€œDon’t be,” he said softly. “It’s a valid question. Anyway, the item of note is the rosary found around her neck. The mother claims it wasn’t hers or her daughter’s.”
    â€œA signature?” she breathed. “Shit.”
    â€œExactly. I hope there’s not a second body, but something tells me there will be. This wasn’t random, a crime of passion or simply of opportunity. My gut says it’s much more.”
    â€œYour gut is usually right. That’s why you’re the best at what you do.”
    He grinned, shaking his head at the praise. “Thanks, but it’s easy to be good when everyone around you is awesome, too.”
    She watched, her stomach growling as he dumped the pasta into a colander, drained the water, and poured the noodles into a bowl. The table was already set for two with the other dishes waiting, so they sat down together and he served their plates.
    As they sat, he held up his glass. “A toast. To working together and solving this case with flying colors.”
    â€œCheers.”
    They clinked glasses and drank. Then came the chicken and pasta, which was excellent. “You’re a fantastic cook.”
    â€œThanks. I don’t get a chance to do much of it and when I do, it’s usually for the guys. So I’m used to making chili, grilling burgers, that sort of comfort food.” He shrugged. “You gave me an excuse to do some real cooking.”
    â€œSo that’s what I am? An excuse?” she teased.
    He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Right.”
    â€œJust kidding. So, tell me about your week. How’s Taylor doing with the wrist?”
    Shane launched into a rant about his partner that was colored with such affection he might’ve been talking about a brother. The mood between Shane and her was light and easy. She was pleasantly surprised by how well they got along when this was their first time alone. He was excellent company. The woman who finally convinced him to settle down would be one lucky bitch.
    â€œEnough about my kooky partner.” After taking another bite of pasta, he regarded her thoughtfully. “Aren’t you an only child?”
    â€œI am. I’m surprised you remember that much about me from school.”
    â€œI wish I’d taken the time to get to know you back then,” he said sincerely. Before she could respond to that, he went on. “What happened to you after high school? You weren’t around for a while, then suddenly I spotted you one day as a rookie on the force.”
    Swallowing a pang of old hurt, she picked at her chicken. “My dad moved to Maine a couple of months after graduation and I went with him. I hated it there, especially the fishy smell and the cold weather, but I was stuck for a while. I mean, what else was an eighteen-year-old supposed to do? I couldn’t move out until I had a career and saved some money.”
    â€œYou say that as though you were itching to be gone.”
    She lifted a shoulder. “Even before
Go to

Readers choose

Ambrielle Kirk

Elias Canetti

Corinna Parr

Siren from the Sea

Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Fabrizio Didonna

Joanna Mazurkiewicz

Peter Quinn

Ruthie Knox

Robert Lipsyte