Foster Siblings 3: Brokedown Hearts Read Online Free Page B

was now divorced. During that time period David had spiraled out of control. He’d been arrested and convicted for stalking and harassing Christian Sanchez, convicted for assaulting Jonah Roberts, convicted for unlawfully entering a private residence, convicted for possessing a stolen weapon.
    In David’s final act of stalking Christian, he’d attempted suicide in front of his ex. When unsuccessful, David had slipped into a catatonic state. He’d then been remanded to a facility in Gainesville for eighteen months and had eventually pleaded guilty to all charges. He’d been granted time served for the eighteen months he’d been institutionalized, and after being declared fit, he’d been transferred up to the Panhandle to serve the remainder of his five years in a minimum-security prison.
    And now he’s free and back in Coleman. And Jonah doesn’t like it or trust him one bit.
    Considering that David’s family, specifically his parents, hadn’t even given their kid a pass on borrowing a family weapon—they’d told the cops that David had stolen the gun he’d used and wanted him charged for the crime—Ben had to wonder why the hell David had come back to Coleman in the first place. The guy’s siblings didn’t seem to claim David as one of their own any more than the parents did, so it didn’t appear to Ben like the smartest move for David to return to his small hometown. Thus Ben gave credence to Jonah’s concerns.
    Still, as Ben studied David from his position, he couldn’t help but recall David’s shocked, almost frightened reaction to Ben’s merely holding eye contact and giving him a small nod of acknowledgment in the motel parking lot the other morning. Ben had been stunned to see David come out of that motel room, but he’d had the ability to cover that reaction, while David was an open book of frayed emotions. At the time, Ben had figured it best to act naturally, rather than look away or hope David hadn’t seen him. Ben wouldn’t be able to remain invisible anymore, but in truth, that might not be a bad thing. This was a small town, so living at the same motel would make keeping an eye on David a whole lot easier. From his vantage point across the parking lot of their motel rooms, he’d be able to figure out David’s schedule quickly and track him 24-7.
    Across the street, David checked his watch again, chewed on the edge of his lower lip, and Ben couldn’t control the clench of empathy that took hold of his gut. He couldn’t let go of the thought that this guy was far too frightened to be a danger to anyone. To Ben, David seemed…scared and lost. No . Ben gnashed his teeth and glared at himself in the rearview mirror. Don’t start thinking like that. Respect the information you’ve gathered about this man and trust that maybe Jonah and Braden know more about him than you do.
    While in a holding pattern—because that was what his subject appeared to be in too—Ben reassessed more of what he knew about David so far. Ben had put a call in to the warden up in Pensacola; he’d been told by an assistant that the man would get back to him within twenty-four hours. He’d also made a call to the psychiatrist in charge of David’s recovery during his time locked away in the holding institution in Gainesville, but had been informed the doctor had just started six weeks of vacation. Ben had to chuckle at the timing. Maybe someone forced him into some time off work too.
    Ben hadn’t expected the shrink to spill David’s secrets, but he’d wanted to try to pump the man for as much information about the state of David’s mental health as possible. Over the course of time David had been imprisoned, he’d also been counseled by two medical students doing psychiatric residencies up in the minimum-security prison in Pensacola. Ben wanted to get ahold of them too. Even if they all shut him down for asking personal questions, Ben at least had to try. Gathering information was part of his job.
    A job