Watching You Read Online Free

“I’m a defense attorney for Christ sakes, it’s my job to know when people are lying.”
    “ Clients, yes.” He remembered how often she’d checked her silent voicemail, how she’d come home, alone, every night, the unseen man across the street her only companion. It wasn’t her fault she’d wanted to believe in Leo. “But love turns even the most intelligent people into morons. It…” he paused. Cleared his throat. “It can make even the best of us lose it.”
    “ I didn’t love him,” Bella said softly. Even though he could tell that was only half true. Maybe she hadn’t yet, but she’d quickly been falling.
    He looked down. Her hands were shaking. He took one in his.
    “ I didn’t have time for a silencer. I’m sure one of your neighbors has called the police by now. Reporters won’t be far behind. We need to get you out of here.”
    She jerked her hand away. “I told the feds I didn’t want witness protection,” she protested.
    “ I know.”
    She turned to face him. And something shifted in her eyes, sudden understand lighting them. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? That’s how you knew Leo was…” She trailed off, shot up from the sofa and crossed to the windows. Her eyes immediately locked on his Festiva across the street.
    Her voice came out flat. “You’ve been watching me.”
    Dale paused. Then nodded.
    “ How long?”
    “ Long enough.”
    She shook her head. “This is a fucking nightmare.”
    “ Look, I understand this is scary. If you aren’t up to testifying this week, we can get a continuance, but I need…”
    But she cut him off. “Oh, I’m testifying all right.” Her eyes blazed. “You bet your ass I’m testifying. First Gianni thinks he can bully me into doing his dirty work for him, then he thinks he can silence me? Put a hit out on me? Fuckers don’t know who they’re dealing with.” She crossed her arms over her chest, indignation radiating from her tiny form.
    And Dale couldn’t help but smile.
    She caught him. “What?”
    He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s nothing less than I’ve come to expect of you.”
    She cocked her head at him. But didn’t comment. Instead, she said, “I’ve changed my mind.”
    “ About?”
    “ I do want protection.”
    He nodded, relief flooding his system. As much as he wanted to see Gianni behind bars, the evening had taken about ten years off his life. The thought of Bella exposed again wasn’t something he thought he could stomach.
    “ Under one condition,” she hedged.
    “ Name it.”
    “ You.”
    He paused. “Me?”
    She nodded. “You’re good. Before I could even call for help, you were here. Hell, you knew before I did that I even needed help. I want you. Watching me.”
    He needed to sleep. He needed a shower, a decent meal, a day to clear his head, remember who he was, what life looked like outside a pair of binocular lenses.
    But he felt himself nodding.
    “ Okay.”
    “ Okay?” Her shoulders sagged, tension draining out. She licked her lips. “Promise?”
    He nodded again. “Promise. Now, let’s get you out of here.”
    “ Okay. But I have one more condition,” she said as he took her hand, led her from the room.
    “ What?”
    “ We’re taking my car.”
    He raised an eyebrow at her.
    “ There’s no way I’m riding around town in that shit Festiva.”
    He felt the corner of his mouth tug upward. Then the other. Then a full blown laugh escaped him. When was the last time he’d laughed. Days? Weeks? It felt good.
    “ Baby, I’ll get you a limo if you want one, let’s just get the hell out of here.”
    She smiled then, too. A tiny one.
    But it was a start.

* * * * *

    About the author:

    Gemma Halliday is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the High Heels Mysteries , the Hollywood Headlines Mysteries, and the Deadly Cool series of young adult books . Gemma’s books have received numerous awards, including a Golden Heart, a National Reader’s Choice award and