Black Ghost Runner Read Online Free Page A

looked like it was supposed to be there. She was moving across the street, then up the stairs. If anyone saw them, no one was saying anything.
    On the second set of stairs, she really began to resist. Beth wasn’t going into her apartment with this tall muscular basketball player alone without putting up some type of fight. At first, she just stopped, but he continued to drag her. She stumbled, so she started kicking, hitting, even screaming.
    This made him stop and look down at her. She shut her mouth in the middle of a scream. “You don’t have those contacts in your work at the clinic?”
    Beth did hear the words he spoke.
    “I can knock you out, or you can walk in front of me. That way you will not suffer any pain, your choice.” He stood looking at her as he released his hold on her.
    Beth looked up at him. She was aware again of his size and his strength.
    Beth lowered her head, took a deep breath and moved around him, then went up the last couple of steps that led down the hall to her door. The key for her lock was on the key ring with her car, so she just went ahead and unlocked the door. She felt his hand on her back as he encouraged her to enter. Inside, she stood in the middle of her small living-kitchen room as he closed the door, locking it.
    Beth watched him as he looked at the hooks on the sidewall. He took off his jacket with the sling attached to the gun, hanging the gun under the jacket. She watched the weapon disappear before she turned her eyes back to him. She became aware that his eyes were on her face.
    “Go to the kitchen. I want you to stay behind the counter. Fix us something easy to eat.” He started to look around the room.
    Beth felt his size was sucking the air out of the room. She did what he ordered her to do, grateful to have the counter between them. She decided she needed to keep busy or she would have a pure panic attack. She turned to the refrigerator, gathered the makings for sandwiches, and pulled the thick cut rye bread from the back counter. She put everything on the cutting board and moved it to the counter, then turned for a cutting knife. She needed this to slice the cheese and tomatoes. She stopped with her hand over the selection of knives displayed in the wooden stand.
    Would he let her have a sharp implement? Beth pulled out the largest one, and turned around to find him watching her from across the small room. He raised an eyebrow, but she shrugged a shoulder, looking down. She picked up the tomato to begin to slice and put together two sandwiches. She doubled everything on his sandwich. He was big, so he would use the extra carbs. Part way through, Beth looked over at him as he searched her apartment, spending only a moment in her bedroom.
    Beth put the unused items away, dropping the knife in the sink. She pushed the cutting board with the sandwiches on it forward on the counter, just in time to see that he had her laptop on the other side of the counter and was opening it.
    Beth couldn’t believe the question he asked.
    “I am logging into your bank account. What is your user ID?” He was looking down at her laptop.
    “Boy, are you a loser.” Beth looked over at him in disgust. “I told you, I lost everything. I have seventy some dollars in there before they enter the service fee.”
    He slammed his fist on the counter. “Beth, your user ID.”
    She couldn’t help it, she jerked as the large hand hit the counter. Okay, he had a short leash on that temper. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to get on his bad side. “My first name with one two three four inserted behind each letter, every other letter upper case.” Then she pulled over a pad with a pencil to jot down the password.
    He glanced up. “Clever. I need something to drink with that.”
    Beth turned to the refrigerator, pulling out two bottled waters. “No beer.” She was surprised her voice was steady, because her stomach was in knots. “Are you satisfied that I don’t have enough in there to