GONE - Part Three (The GONE Series Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Deborah Bladon
traumatic event. I should find comfort in them and in the way he's clinging to me, but I can't. All I can see is him back at the bistro, shoving my picture into his pocket. "I went to see my attorney."
"What's his name?" he asks into my hair. "I'd like to speak with him."
"Have you been waiting long?" I'm not asking because I'm concerned about how he's wasted his time standing on the street in front of my building. I don't want him to talk to Garrett. I need to gain perspective and find my own path out of this nightmare and I can't do that if he's influencing the only person who is looking out for my legal best interests. I have no doubt that if I tell Clive that my attorney is named Garrett Ryan that he'll call him up immediately and tell him that I no longer need his services.
His head dips down to his wristwatch. "I've been here for more than an hour."
"It's been a really hard day." I look at the sidewalk. "I think I'm just going to go up to my place and sleep."
"No." His arm slides from my back to my waist. "I'll come up with you and we'll talk."
I run both of my hands over my forehead. "I don't feel talking right now, Clive."
"Lilly." He pulls back. "Look at me."
I need to. I don’t see how I'm going to be able to end this conversation without looking at him. I casually drift my eyes over his face before settling them on a spot just past his right ear. "I'd like to go up to my apartment."
I flinch when I feel his strong hand grab my chin. "Look me in the eye."
I trace the fingers of my left hand over my lips, trying to gather the strength to face him directly. I need to shield all of the doubt I'm feeling. If I don't, this evening will never end. "What is it?"
In the dim light that the streetlights cast down on us, he studies my face. "You look exhausted."
I feel my bottom lip quiver so I race my tongue over it, hoping to quiet it. "I can't think straight at this point. Sleep will help."
"I can stay with you." He tilts his chin towards the front door of my building. "Or we can go to my place if you'd be more comfortable there."
He wants to pull me back into the comfort of his bed. He'll kiss me, touch me and chase away all the lingering doubts. "I think I'll just stay here by myself tonight."
"I don't think that's a good idea," he presses as he begins to steer me towards the front door. "I'll just stay until you fall asleep."
My avenue of escape is narrowing. I have to do something if I want the space and peace I need to think about today. "Did you find out who put the picture in the slideshow?"
His feet stop in place just as his hand drops from the small of my back. "Not yet."
"Alec was going to talk to the woman who I gave the flash drive with my slides to." I look up and into his face. "Do you know if he talked to her?"
He looks past me towards the softly lit foyer of my building. "I believe he did, yes."
"What did she say?" I push not only because I want to know if Cheryl has any knowledge of what happened but because I want to gauge Clive's reactions.
"She's as stumped as the rest of us."
I keep my eyes focused on him even though he won't look at me. "How can that be?"
"You're tired, Lilly." He leans forward to brush his lips against my forehead. "I think sleep is probably the best thing for you. I'll call you in the morning."
I close my eyes just as he turns and walks away.
Chapter 7
My initial plan when I was eating ice cream and watching a movie at midnight was to bury my phone at the bottom of my clothes hamper, ignore the buzzer to my apartment and spend the entire weekend wrapped up in my own thoughts. That lasted until ten this morning when Ben called me three times in a row. I ignored the first two calls but when I saw his number flash across the screen for a third time within five minutes, panic set in. I answered immediately.
Now, three hours later I'm sitting at a table in Axel NY staring at him and Kayla. They can't stop smiling and the fact
"What's his name?" he asks into my hair. "I'd like to speak with him."
"Have you been waiting long?" I'm not asking because I'm concerned about how he's wasted his time standing on the street in front of my building. I don't want him to talk to Garrett. I need to gain perspective and find my own path out of this nightmare and I can't do that if he's influencing the only person who is looking out for my legal best interests. I have no doubt that if I tell Clive that my attorney is named Garrett Ryan that he'll call him up immediately and tell him that I no longer need his services.
His head dips down to his wristwatch. "I've been here for more than an hour."
"It's been a really hard day." I look at the sidewalk. "I think I'm just going to go up to my place and sleep."
"No." His arm slides from my back to my waist. "I'll come up with you and we'll talk."
I run both of my hands over my forehead. "I don't feel talking right now, Clive."
"Lilly." He pulls back. "Look at me."
I need to. I don’t see how I'm going to be able to end this conversation without looking at him. I casually drift my eyes over his face before settling them on a spot just past his right ear. "I'd like to go up to my apartment."
I flinch when I feel his strong hand grab my chin. "Look me in the eye."
I trace the fingers of my left hand over my lips, trying to gather the strength to face him directly. I need to shield all of the doubt I'm feeling. If I don't, this evening will never end. "What is it?"
In the dim light that the streetlights cast down on us, he studies my face. "You look exhausted."
I feel my bottom lip quiver so I race my tongue over it, hoping to quiet it. "I can't think straight at this point. Sleep will help."
"I can stay with you." He tilts his chin towards the front door of my building. "Or we can go to my place if you'd be more comfortable there."
He wants to pull me back into the comfort of his bed. He'll kiss me, touch me and chase away all the lingering doubts. "I think I'll just stay here by myself tonight."
"I don't think that's a good idea," he presses as he begins to steer me towards the front door. "I'll just stay until you fall asleep."
My avenue of escape is narrowing. I have to do something if I want the space and peace I need to think about today. "Did you find out who put the picture in the slideshow?"
His feet stop in place just as his hand drops from the small of my back. "Not yet."
"Alec was going to talk to the woman who I gave the flash drive with my slides to." I look up and into his face. "Do you know if he talked to her?"
He looks past me towards the softly lit foyer of my building. "I believe he did, yes."
"What did she say?" I push not only because I want to know if Cheryl has any knowledge of what happened but because I want to gauge Clive's reactions.
"She's as stumped as the rest of us."
I keep my eyes focused on him even though he won't look at me. "How can that be?"
"You're tired, Lilly." He leans forward to brush his lips against my forehead. "I think sleep is probably the best thing for you. I'll call you in the morning."
I close my eyes just as he turns and walks away.
Chapter 7
My initial plan when I was eating ice cream and watching a movie at midnight was to bury my phone at the bottom of my clothes hamper, ignore the buzzer to my apartment and spend the entire weekend wrapped up in my own thoughts. That lasted until ten this morning when Ben called me three times in a row. I ignored the first two calls but when I saw his number flash across the screen for a third time within five minutes, panic set in. I answered immediately.
Now, three hours later I'm sitting at a table in Axel NY staring at him and Kayla. They can't stop smiling and the fact
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