Silent Deceit Read Online Free Page A

off half cocked, not
requesting backup while searching for her brother was a rookie mistake. And
being emotionally involved made her doubly dangerous. He
didn’t want to see her hurt, which meant keeping eyes on her at all times.
      Hoisting a table, he followed her
outside. He figured she’d still investigate on her own if given half a chance.
Blue might have blown the lid off her plan yesterday when he threatened to yank
her off the case—hell, Skip wished he had—but his gut told him Natasha was
bound and determined to find Zach, no matter the consequences. And the fool
woman couldn’t afford to let her guard down, even for one second. Kingman would
kill her if he discovered who she was.
      Setting the table down in the parking
lot, Skip angled his head back to feel the warmth of
sun on his face. The air smelled crisp, not cold, a slight breeze ruffling his
hair. The freak storm was long
gone. So was the tree that had done the damage. Lumberjacks loaded what was
left of it into dump trucks, the screeches and beeps
from front loaders filling the silence. He’d watched the men working chainsaws
when he’d come back for his Ducati at sunrise that
morning. They’d done an impressive job.
      He snagged Natasha’s sleeve when she
brushed past him on her way inside again. “Take a
breather. There’s coffee and sandwiches set out on a table over there.”
      “Kiss my undercarriage,” she hissed.
“I’ve got things to do.”
      “We’ve been at it for hours, bluebird.
We’re no closer to finding your brother.” He wrapped her hand in his big mitt
and headed for the coffee urn. “We need to come up with a plan.”
      She shrugged her shoulders, accepted the
coffee he handed her, and moved to a picnic table out of earshot of anyone
standing nearby. “Cut to the chase, Skip. I don’t have time for this.”
      “I suggest you make time.” It didn’t take
a brain surgeon to look inside her head to see the chaos; the hurt because
she’d been shot down by Blue, and discovered Skip was a cop. Disappointment at
her brother for messing up again, and maybe with herself for not having a
crystal ball and rescuing Zach from his latest fuck up.
      She deserved better. Skip wanted to ease her pain. Erase the crease between her brows and
tears clouding her amber eyes. More than that, he wanted to feel her wrapped
around him on silky sheets—as
if that would happen.Hell, not today and maybe never. Not if he
couldn’t bring her brother back to her in one piece.
      “I’m mad at you.” Taking a hit of coffee,
Natasha glared at him over the rim of the cardboard cup. “You ratted me out to
Blue.”
      “Wrong. Blue sent me here to keep eyes on you.” Wasn’t it just like an ornery female to
change the facts to suit her situation? Try to fit a square peg into a round
hole? “You dug your own grave by not being honest with him from the get go.”
      “Still, you could have clued me in you
were on his team.” She scrunched her face into a scowl. Kind of cute, if there
wasn’t so much piss and vinegar behind it. “At least now I know why you weren’t arrested for murder.”
      “Wrong again, Tas.” She seemed hell bent
on thinking the worst of him, no matter what. Skip cupped her chin and turned
her to face him, holding her gaze with his own. “I walked because I wasn’t
guilty. If you think otherwise, you’re mistaken about me and about
Blue.”
      “You’re right. He wouldn’t have let you
off the hook if he thought differently.” She sighed, blinking back tears. “I’m
sorry for being such a jerk. I just want to find my brother. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
      Skip curled his fingers into the collar
of her sheepskin jacket. He whispered in her ear. “How lucky am I going to get
when we find him?”
      She indulged in an eye roll, a smile
tipping the corners of her mouth. “Not lucky enough.”
      “Spoil sport.” He laughed, kissing the
top of her head. “Let’s get back to