JET II - Betrayal (JET #2) Read Online Free Page A

doesn’t happen here. You couldn’t find anything safer.”
    “Have you shown it a lot? How long has it been on the market?”
    Joanie checked the listing paperwork.
    “Looks like almost five months. And no, it hasn’t had a lot of traffic. Not too many folks want to move during the winter months, with the snow and storms and all. I think you could pick it up for a song.”
    Jet spent half an hour with the pushy agent, entertaining her high-pressure sales pitch and then decided she’d seen enough. Joanie insisted on showing her the backyard, which was in disrepair after being ignored all winter, before they finished on the front porch. She tried to get as much information out of Jet as possible, who invented a background – being transferred to open a new insurance office in town, from Seattle, looking to make a decision within a week, definitely a buyer… Joanie’s eyes widened when she heard that Jet wanted to buy soon, and she redoubled her insistence that this was a perfect house for her.
    “I think you should write an offer. Just a lowball, but it can’t hurt, and if you get it for that…well, there are all sorts of deals, you know?”
    “Joanie. Thanks for your time. I have your contact information. I’ll get back in touch with you if I need to see the house again and write an–” She stopped mid-sentence as a car pulled into the driveway next door, and a woman got out, then walked to the rear passenger door and opened it.
    To unstrap the toddler in the child seat.
    Jet’s breath caught in her throat.
    The woman was medium height, a muted blonde, dressed in office clothes, and was fumbling with an overstuffed plastic shopping bag as she unclasped the buckle on the safety seat.
    Joanie’s incessant chattering faded into a distant tremolo as the blood rushed to Jet’s ears and her heart began trip-hammering. She heard herself mumbling some vague assent to the annoying woman in response to yet another suggestion that she write something up on the house, and then time grudgingly creaked forward again, and the slow-motion state she’d found herself in for a few seconds shifted back to reality.
    The blonde lifted the toddler out of the seat and set her gently on the driveway, where she stood unsteadily and then trailed the driver to the front door on the chubby, slightly wobbly legs of a healthy two-year-old.
    She was absolutely beautiful.
    The most gorgeous sight Jet had ever seen.
    There was no mistaking her. Even from thirty feet away, she could see herself in the tiny face, the cast of the eyes, the nose. That was her daughter. Her Hannah. A flutter of Jet’s essence shifted in her abdomen, a momentary recollection of the life she’d carried to term, its tiny heart beating in cadence with her own.
    Transfixed though she was, Jet forced herself to look away. She didn’t want to raise the smallest amount of suspicion with Joanie or do anything memorable – which was relatively safe, given all the agent could see or hear was an opportunity to make a sale, preferably today.
    “Joanie, I really appreciate the tour, but I just realized the time. I have to get going to a meeting. I’ll give you a call in the next day or two after I finish looking around. This house is a strong contender. It has everything I want.”
    Joanie visibly deflated as the words registered. Her hopes of a quick offer dashed, she tried one more time, but didn’t have much enthusiasm left.
    “Well, I’ll be showing it more regularly once the weather turns, so if I was you, I’d act quickly. It’s a creampuff and so cozy. And safe. And the bank–”
    “Yes. I know. The bank is motivated – I got that loud and clear. Look, thanks so much for taking the time to show it, Joanie. I appreciate it, and I’ll be touching base shortly.”
    Jet ventured a final sidelong glance at her daughter then turned away, pausing to shake Joanie’s meaty hand before returning to her car, the world threatening to spin dizzily out of control at