Caught in Darkness Read Online Free Page A

learned each
other’s names and were in no way romantically involved. It’s official, Veronica. You’ve gone too long without a
boyfriend.
    Barely resisting the urge to shake
her head, Veronica managed, “Well, I should be going…but it was good to meet
you. And thank you, by the way.” That was stupid. You already thanked him. What,
are you thanking him for giving you his number now?
    “It wasn’t a problem,” he assured
her easily, another faint grin tilting his lips. “And hopefully your day will
only get better from here.”
    She smiled automatically at his
words, nodded, and only just managed to avoid repeating that she needed to go
before turning and starting down the sidewalk with a small wave.
    ****
    Seth watched Veronica walk away
with conflicting, confusing emotions tangling in his gut. He wanted to be
relieved for finally having a solid lead on his investigation, but all he
really wanted was to go after Richards and make sure he would never be
bothering Veronica again. And that surge of protectiveness was entirely
unexpected. There were very few beings he could honestly say he was protective
over, and none of them were human.
    Time enough to
dwell on that later, he told himself as he turned and started in the direction
of his own car. As he walked, he tugged his phone from his pocket once
more and dialed Robert. When the line clicked and Robert offered his usual
greeting, Seth declared, “We need to talk. Where are you?”
    “Home,” Robert replied, sounding
startled.
    “I’m on my way,” Seth stated flatly
before Robert could say more. He didn’t wait for the other man’s response
before disconnecting and switching his phone for his car keys. They needed to
move on this lead before it evaporated on them, and there was a good chance
that Richards and the other two would be going underground now that they knew
they’d been overheard. He could only hope they weren’t very good at it.
    The engine had barely rolled over
before Seth’s mind returned to the scene he’d unintentionally walked into a
short while before. He’d only been passing by, once again reviewing what few
details he had, when he’d caught sight of Richards leering at Veronica. It
looked like he was actually thinking about attacking her, right out in the
open. And he was trying to tell himself he was only upset because of what that
would have risked, and because Richards (along with Wilson and another whose
name he still didn’t know) had been eluding him for over a week. But he
suspected he was lying to himself.
    Veronica had looked so innocent and
vulnerable, sitting on the grass beneath the tree and staring up in fear into Richards’s
eyes. The truth was , she would probably have drawn his
attention even if Richards hadn’t been practically drooling over her. And he
was angry over the thought of what Richards might have done to her if he hadn’t
walked by when he did, but he wasn’t so sure he was angry for the right
reasons.
    Tightening his hands over the
steering wheel, Seth once again attempted to yank his thoughts away from
Veronica. I need to be focusing on taking care of this situation before it gets
out of hand.
    ****
    Veronica eased her car into her
mother’s driveway at precisely five-thirty that afternoon, resignation, guilt,
and frustration vying for dominance within her. Despite the fact that she’d
already made new plans with Allison, and Allison hadn’t sounded too
crestfallen, Veronica still wished she didn’t have to be going to the potluck. It
doesn’t matter now, she reminded herself with a sigh
as she dropped the keys in her purse and reached for the handle. It was time to
plant a smile on her face, but it was not time to give in to her frustration.
    That thought firmly in mind,
Veronica climbed out of her car and made her way to the door. Her mother’s
house—the house Veronica had called home for her entire childhood—was two
stories tall and well cared for. It was sporting a fairly fresh coat