Dream of Me Read Online Free

lived on the quiet island. Plus, a safe house was located amid the bungalows stretched along a pristine strip of beach where they all lived. Charter Group planes flew in and out often enough the company required a separate airstrip and hangar to ensure their privacy and safety from militant groups and drug cartels—people who might have a bone to chew with Charter.
    Sam placed her bag behind her seat, and then held the door as she stepped up into the vehicle. Her gaze didn’t look left or right. She sat still, seeming to barely breathe.
    When they were both strapped in, he pressed the ignition button, and they were away. He kept his gaze on the dark, narrow road that hugged the outer edge of the island. “You should have everything you need, but I’ll check on you tomorrow. Not too early,” he said with a small, one-sided smile as he glanced her way.
    She was staring out the passenger window. “You shouldn’t put yourself out. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
    Sam couldn’t read her expression, but her tone was flat. Not a hint of emotion. The way Marc had talked about her, Sam knew this wasn’t Aislin Dupree. He was staring at a shadow of the woman she’d once been. “It’s quiet. You’re coming straight from NOLA and might need a bit to acclimate.”
    “Fine. Drop by.”
    Her tone remained flat. But he noted the way her shoulders stiffened just a little. She wasn’t as uncaring as she would have him believe. She was annoyed. Which made him smile. He could deal with anger. Sorrow, not so much. He owed it to Marc to keep a watch over Aislin. Maybe coax her out of her brittle shell. “Marc called you Ash.”
    Her breath hitched, and she darted a narrowed glance his way. “My friends call me that.”
    Had it been his mention of Marc? Or was she warning him they would never be friends? Still, he liked getting a reaction. The frown between her brows was far better than the closed expression she’d worn when he’d introduced himself. “We can’t be friends?” he drawled.
    She blew out a breath between pursed lips and resumed staring out the window. Her already rather square jaw jutted forward.
    Now, he grinned. Yeah, she’d need prodding to rejoin the living. After discovering she’d been on a rather lengthy leave following the shooting, he’d been concerned. Had to mean she couldn’t get past the psych eval. He’d bet anything she’d be livid if she knew he’d placed a few calls on her behalf. Her shift sergeant was a former Marine, and Sam hadn’t done much to get him to spill about his concerns regarding her fitness to return to duty.
    Sergeant Patterson had sounded relieved someone was stepping in to help. Not that helping had been Sam’s intention, at first. He’d simply been repaying a debt. Offering his old buddy’s girlfriend a chance to recuperate.
    However, the call she’d placed last night had sparked his curiosity. Something about the tone of her voice, that hint of desperation and aching sorrow, had tugged at him. After making her travel arrangements, he’d settled into a lounge chair on his deck and started making calls. One to a friend inside Charter’s operations center who could help with running down information regarding Marc’s murder and his girlfriend’s current status. Another to the office manager of the practice where Melanie Oats worked. With little effort and a small bribe, he obtained copies of the psychologist’s notes, which he’d emailed straight to Charter’s own resident profiler. He’d wanted to know how to approach Ash. What she needed…
    A change of scenery , for sure. She’d been holed up in the apartment she’d shared with Marc, sleeping on the sofa because she couldn’t face lying on the mattress where they’d both slept. And a breezy island was far removed from sweltering, muggy New Orleans. She’d stand a chance of losing the anchor that kept her tied to her past.
    Solitude . For her to think, and long enough to make her feel restless. Because