Deceived Read Online Free

anymore.”
    Sarah repressed a grin and held up her hands. “Sorry. Can’t help myself. It’s a mom thing.”
    â€œSo, we’re still going to the festival tonight, right?” Eli asked as Sarah went about the room, tidying up.
    â€œYep,” Sarah said with a grin, looking forward to it as much as he was. “I promised to work at the school’s booth for a while, but then we can walk around together.”
    Eli’s face fell. “But I told Hunter I’d meet him at the haunted house.”
    Sarah grabbed an eraser and started clearing the white board of the day’s lesson. “Well, I guess you’ll have to tell him you were mistaken. I’m not comfortable with you wandering around on your own, Eli. I’m going with you. End of discussion.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Are you serious? Mom, all the other guys get to go around by themselves. How come I can’t? I’m eleven years old—I’m not a baby!”
    â€œI know you’re not, Eli.” Sarah glanced at her phone as she was tossing it into her purse. Noticing she’d missed a couple of calls from her sister, she made a mental note to return her sister’s call in the morning, then grabbed her bag and gestured toward the door.
    â€œThen why can’t I go to the festival with my friends?” he demanded.
    Sarah took a moment to lock her classroom door before answering. The truth was, she knew Eli was one of the most responsible kids around, that he’d never given her any reason not to trust him. And he was scary smart—another trait he’d inherited from his history professor father, who could’ve made even IRS tax guidelines fascinating—and was wise well beyond his years.
    The rational side of her knew she’d have to let go sooner or later and trust that Eli would make the right decisions when he wasn’t with her. But after losing her husband, the thought of losing Eli too . . .
    â€œLook, kiddo,” she said on a sigh. “I know you’re old enough to hang out with your friends, but I’d feel better if you hung out with me instead, okay? Don’t roll your eyes at me, Elijah Scoffield—I’m serious.”
    â€œMom,” Eli said, giving her a sardonic look, “we live in Bakersville. Nothing ever happens here.”
    * * *
    Luke pulled up to the quaint yellow Queen Anne, complete with white picket fence. The place was so freaking cute he was afraid he’d go into sugar shock if he stuck around too long. Good thing he was gonna tell them to get their shit and get the hell in the car. Of course, he’d say please . No need to be an asshole about it.
    He climbed the porch steps, the aging wood groaning under his weight. Lamps shone through the window, but when he knocked on the door there was no sound of movement inside. He glanced up and down the street, grunting at how freaking picturesque it was. Old-fashioned streetlamps lined the street, their pale light illuminating the growing darkness on the crisp night. The whole street was deserted. Since it was an unseasonably mild fall night, he’d expected kids to still be playing outside, cars coming and going. Something .
    â€œWhere the hell is everybody?” he mumbled, turning back to the door and knocking again, louder this time. He was going to be seriously pissed if he’d traveled all this way for nothing.
    â€œNo one’s home.”
    Luke whipped around toward the sound of the voice, his hand instinctively slipping under his jacket to grasp his gun. A man with white hair and a loud cardigan sweater was standing on the sidewalk with his dog—some kind of collie from the looks of it. Luke withdrew his hand and patted his pockets to cover for his reaction. “Can’t find my key,” he said, forcing a friendly smile. He jabbed his thumb toward the house. “Know when they’ll be back?”
    The man shrugged. “No telling. Just