Gentle Curves (Dangerous Curves Book 4) Read Online Free Page B

him. Not again.
    Mirrie walked aimlessly, just walked and breathed. When she finally became aware of her surroundings, she saw that she was near a park. She spotted an empty bench and went over to it, sat down. She dug through her backpack for her cell phone and she dialled Neil’s number from memory.
    He answered almost immediately. “Mirrie?”
    The concern was palpable in his deep voice and she shut her eyes with relief. “Hi, Neil.”
    “You OK?”
    “No.”
    “What do you need?”
    “Can we – can we meet?”
    “Yeah. Where are you?”
    “Ummm.” Mirrie looked around blearily, tried to focus. “I’m not totally sure.”
    Neil paused.
    “I’m not drunk,” she rushed to reassure him. “I just had a shock and I kind of wandered for a while without paying attention.”
    “Alright,” he said gently. “Walk around a bit, get your bearings. I’ll stay on the phone with you.”
    “OK.”
    She got to her feet and started to walk towards what looked like a busy intersection. Sure enough, she found a few street signs and peered up at them.
    “Ummm… Neil? I’m at 30th and Champa. I see an ice cream place, actually, just across the street. Can we meet there?”
    “Yeah. Give me thirty minutes, OK?”
    “Sure thing,” Mirrie said and then made a stab at levity. “Shall I order you a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream?”
    Neil paused. “You better, girl. I get the feeling I’m going to miss my lunch today.”
    Mirrie felt tears well up in her eyes for about the fifth time that morning. “Yeah. Yeah, you will. I – I need to talk, Neil.”
    “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said. “As long as you need. How much time have you got?”
    “All day,” she said. “I don’t start work until four o’clock.”
    “Good. I’ll take the rest of the day off and we’ll just talk until you say everything you need to. Alright?”
    “OK.” She was still shaky and frightened, but at least she wasn’t alone. “See you soon.”
    **
    Neil Gammon stared across the table at Mirrie, not at all liking what he saw. He’d been her AA sponsor for two years and he’d seen her in a really bad way more than once… but nothing like this. Whatever this was, it was serious.
    When Neil had first agreed to be her sponsor, he’d demanded total openness and honesty from her – and she’d immediately set some boundaries around that. When he’d pointed out that – by their very definition – openness and honesty were all about not setting up walls or withholding, she’d gazed at him for a very long time. To this day, he remembered the look of pain and panic in those amazing light-purple eyes.
    “Neil,” she’d said. “I have to keep some things from you, OK? Things about my family. It’s for your own safety.”
    Well, he hadn’t liked that at all and had asked for some clarification.
    She’d worried her full lower lip, silent and thinking. Finally, she’d said, “My family is… bad news. Criminals. Dangerous guys. They – they don’t know that I’m an alcoholic and they sure as hell don’t know that I’m looking for help. If they knew, they’d… well.” She shuddered. “They’d hurt me, Neil, to stop me from talking to outsiders about my problems. They’d – they’d maybe hurt you for helping me. For knowing things about them.”
    “They would?”
    “Yeah.” She twisted her hands. “If you – if you can’t accept my need to stay quiet about some specifics, then just say so. I’ll find another sponsor. No hard feelings, I swear.”
    He’d looked at Mirrie for a very long time, then he’d said, “I’ll be your sponsor, Mirrie. But I want you to tell me everything that you can without compromising your safety, OK?”
    Startled, she’d agreed. And although it had taken her a while, she’d started to let him in a tiny little bit at a time. Now, he knew all about her family and the Fallen Angels – and he knew about what had happened to her when she’d tried to leave that