SEE HIM DIE Read Online Free Page A

to be some sort of ledger meant nothing to her, though she had recognized some of the names as her husband’s friends.
    A shiver raced over her skin. Surely the man she’d married and lived with for more than three years wasn’t involved in murder. As much as she hated him at this moment and despised the way he’d lied to her and cheated on her for months, she simply couldn’t believe he would commit cold-blooded murder.
    Whether he killed anyone or not, he was involved somehow. She’d packed a bag and moved out. By noon the next day, she had been served with divorce papers and was locked out of his house. He’d taken her off all credit cards and bank accounts within twenty-four hours. Though she hated this helpless feeling with her life so out of control, the divorce was inevitable.
    She would get through this. All she had to do was find a job. Earning a paycheck would be the beginning of her journey toward self-sufficiency. A decent attorney would be nice as well, but so far every last one she’d contacted had turned her down. No one in Baldwin County wanted to go up against Austin Barton. Not that she could blame them. She didn’t even want to go up against him, but she had no choice if she wanted to walk away from this marriage with anything other than the clothes on her back.
    Enough feeling sorry for yourself, Jules
.
    As she pushed it open, the Buick’s door whined. A blast of southern Alabama humidity greeted her. The Buick might not be much to look at but it had a kick-butt air conditioning system. Swiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, she made her way to Marie’s sports bar. The midtown location was prime for good business. In the heart of Mobile’s historic downtown area, it was convenient for a quick lunch, after work drinks, or a night on the town with friends.
    Not that Julie went out that much, hardly ever in fact. Occasionally when Austin was out of town she’d come over and have dinner with Marie. They’d been best friends since grade school. When Julie had gone off to college in Birmingham, Marie had married her high school sweetheart. Marie had lived through those horrible days with Julie after she’d lost her parents during grad school. With no other family, she’d had no one to turn to except Marie. They’d always been like sisters and had grown even closer since Julie moved to Mobile after graduation.
    Thinking back, maybe she’d fallen so fast and hard for Austin because she’d longed to have a family again. Too bad a family had been the last thing on his mind. He’d simply wanted a young, attractive woman on his arm. Apparently, now that Julie was nearing the big 3-0 she no longer fit the bill. His new girlfriend was only twenty-one and named Barbie. Julie gritted her teeth at the thought of the big-bosomed bitch who’d clearly had serious work done in an attempt to look exactly like a real life Barbie doll.
    She rolled her eyes. She did not want to think about this right now.
    Inside, the bar was filled to capacity with the late lunch crowd. Julie squeezed her way through the throng until she reached the bar. The layout of the place gave it extra appeal in Julie’s opinion. It was huge, for one thing. The latest chart toppers played in the background while television sets hanging from the ceiling flashed with action packed scenes from whatever games were in season. Booths and tables filled the room.
    She slid onto a stool at the bar and waited for Marie to notice her presence. Marie looked damn good for a woman who had been married multiple times and produced two children—all by the ripe old age of twenty-nine. Julie smiled. She did so love her friend and the thought of those cute kids made her seriously jealous.
    “Jules!” Marie weaved through the two bartenders working efficiently to fill orders and, without asking, set a Miller Lite with a frosted glass on the counter in front of Julie. “How’s it going?”
    Julie took a deep swig from the bottle before answering.