The Prey Bites Back: A Jesse Watson Mystery Book #8 Read Online Free Page A

looked down
and saw Athena shaking. I rubbed her soft coat and said, “Do I need to take you
to a psychiatrist to help you work through your storm fears and riding in
cars?”
    She started
barking, twitching, and jumping around. I had to grab her and hold her to quiet
her down. “Shhh,” I said. “You’re going to wake Billy.”
    “Too late for
that,” Billy said, walking over to the coffee pot looking sexy as ever. “My
head feels like it’s going to explode, and this thunder isn’t helping.”
    I walked over
and kissed him… and he didn’t smell like a brewery. Maybe I should’ve tried
harder last night. I ran my hand around his back and then slowly down his butt.
He looked at me and managed a smile, but that was about all. “I feel rough,” he
said, kissing me on the cheek. He walked over to the table and sat down.
“Remind me to never drink again. Aren’t the kids up yet?”
    Helene handed
him a cup of coffee. “Not yet. It’s only five-thirty. Give them time and
they’ll be up and ready to get into something.”
    Suddenly, a
flash of lightning lit up the whole room, followed by a loud clap of thunder
erupting overhead. Athena took off running down the hall to safety… wherever
that was this time around.
    “That was
close,” Helene said, looking at me. “Maybe you should cancel your meeting.”
    “What meeting?”
Billy asked, glancing at me. “What you got up your sleeve, `ge ya, and why
didn’t you tell me?”
    “You’ve been
out of it, that’s why I haven’t said anything. Why don’t you go back to bed and
sleep off your hangover. I got this one.”
    He pushed aside
his cup of coffee and said, “Maybe I should. My head’s killing me and my
stomach doesn’t feel much better.”
    “Here,” Helene
said, offering him a glass of tomato juice and two aspirins. “Wash the aspirin
down with the tomato juice. Great antidote for a hangover.”
    Billy tossed
back the aspirin, downed the juice, and then stood up. “Wake me when it’s time
for dinner.” He looked at me. “Whatever you got going on, stay out of trouble.
I don’t feel like bailing you out of jail, and if Sheriff Hudson…”
    “Don’t worry
about me. I’ll keep it clean. I promise.”
    “God. I feel
like I’m going to die,” Billy said and then stopped. He dropped his head.
    I rushed to him
and engulfed him in my arms. “It’s okay, Billy. You’re entitled to feel sad. I
think you’ve held up pretty good considering. All of you have, especially Chief
Sam. Your mother almost died, but she didn’t, and she’s going to be fine. We
need to be happy about that.”
    Helene walked
over and gave Billy a hug. “You’ll feel better as soon as you find out how Sarah
got a hold of the wrong pills. I know that’s what’s bothering you.”
    “Someone at the
drug store made a mistake,” I added. “It happens. There’s nothing we can do
about it, except make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
    Billy smiled.
“Yeah, you’re both right. I’ll get to the bottom of this if it’s the last thing
I do.” He hesitated for a second, and then said, “Sorry, but I gotta go lie
down.” He turned and headed straight to the bathroom down the hall.
    “That’s not
the…”
    “Let him go,
Jesse. He probably has to throw up. You remember what that’s like, don’t you?”
    “Boy, do I
ever.” Visions of my head hanging in the toilet flashed through my mind. “I
don’t want to ever go there again.”
    “You might want
to get an early start,” Helene suggested. “Who knows what it’s like out there?
This storm came up in the middle of the night and it’s still going strong. The
roads are probably flooded in some places. I’ll be surprised if your mother can
even get out. South River
Road floods at the drop of
a hat. You might want to give her a call.”
    Just then, I
heard my cell phone playing Mom’s tune. “Where’s my phone?” I followed the
sound to the den where I had left it last night.
    “My power’s
out,