Arouse Suspicion by Maureen McKade Read Free Book Online Page A

pieces of rope from her "captivity" in his hands. She winked at him.
    Nick winked back.
    Danni stifled a colorful comeback. She gave her attention back to the injured Tarzan.
    Willy's flush matched the floozy's hair color. "Shut up, Bambi! Just shut up."
    Danni glanced at Nick, who mouthed Bambi? and she had to look away before she lost it.
    "Who are you?" Bambi asked Sirocco.
    "Ni—"
    "We were just walking by when we heard you scream," Danni interrupted. She wasn't in the habit of kicking a man when he was down, and with the pictures she'd taken, she suspected Willy would find out soon enough why they'd been there.
    "We appreciate your help, but you can leave now," Willy said, trying ineffectually to cover the front of his loincloth with his hands. He had obviously lost his excitement for the game.
    "You should have your head examined," Danni said, stifling her grin at the unintentional pun.
    Willy sent her a sharp look, or as sharp as he could under the circumstances.
    She didn't think he appreciated her humor.
    "I'll think about it," he said.
    Nick gazed down at Bambi and winked. Again. "You and your hero have fun," he said.
    The flicker of disappointment on Bambi's overly made- up face told Danni she would gladly trade her ape man hero for the ape who'd kicked in her door. Stifling the urge to roll her eyes, Danni left the motel room, only to find rain pouring down in black sheets. Just great.
    Nick joined her after leaning the door, which he'd kicked off the hinges, against the frame. She checked to ensure her camera was safely stowed in her backpack. They scurried across the motel lot toward the truck and paused to look for traffic before starting across the street.
    A squeal of tires was Danni's only warning. She jerked around to see a car barreling through the storm directly toward them. She felt a tug on her arm and fell to the street. Then she was rolling across the wet pavement, another body glued to hers—a bigger and harder body that protected her on the concrete. They stopped abruptly, and Nick groaned, his breath hot against her ear.
    Danni scrambled up to try to see the car that had almost run them down, but it had disappeared into the inky rain. She spotted her backpack lying in the middle of the street and grabbed it before it was run over by a vehicle. Hurrying back to Nick, she squatted beside him and laid a hand on his chest. His heart thundered as fast as hers.
    "You okay?" she asked anxiously.
    He nodded and, with her help, sat up. He rubbed his right arm, grimacing as the rain streamed down his face. "Nothing's broken."
    Danni realized he must've hit the curb with his arm. She flinched, imagining the bruise he'd have. "Should I take you to the hospital?"
    "No. It'll be okay."
    They rose and stepped onto the sidewalk. Nobody was around, or at least nobody they could spot. The rain was easing up, but water saturated Danni's curls and worked its way across her scalp to her nape and rolled down her back. A shiver followed the cold rain's path on her skin.
    "Let's get in the truck," Danni said.
    Once inside the cab with the happily wiggling Gus, Nick tugged the blanket out from under his dog and wiped his hands and face. He handed it to Danni, and she found a dry corner without too much dog hair to mop the rain from her face.
    "Did you see anything?" Danni asked, her voice low against the backdrop of rain pelting the truck's roof.
    "No. It came too fast."
    The aftermath of the adrenaline overdose coursed through her blood, and the shakes hit her. She clutched the steering wheel to hide her body's reaction. "Do you think it was a drunk driver?"
    Nick shifted his shoulder and grimaced. "Do you?"
    "If I thought so, I'd call nine-one-one and report it." Still trembling, she tossed the wet blanket behind the seat. She didn't reach for her cell phone.
    Belatedly remembering her camera, she unzipped her backpack and lifted it out. Handling it carefully, she examined it.
    "Did it survive?" Nick asked.
    Relieved,