Conflicted (Secrets and Lies) by M. M. Koenig Read Free Book Online Page B

patiently.
    She rolled her shoulders not following me.
    "In layman's terms, it's a magazine in the city that rose to the nationwide circuit not long ago. Inside Out is amazing. It reports on issues that matter. It's the big time with them."
    Bri sat straight up so I followed. I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my cheek on them. She leaned back on her hands with her legs stretched past me.
    "So he was there. The magazine is awesome. What happened to make you disappear?" Bri asked. She scowled still bothered about my vanishing act.
    I nervously chewed on my lip. "Derrick gave him some of my work. Harrison wanted the meeting. He asked me to be a source for a huge piece that he has been working on for some time. He thought I was the best fit for it."
    She constricted her eyes. I shifted my gaze away from her out to the boys to confirm that they remained oblivious. "Harrison wants me to secure a job at a company that he believes is linked to major crimes in the city. He's asked me to gather as much inside information as possible."
    Bri slanted her head as her eyes told me to get on with it already.
    "It's F. F. Sweeney & Company," I said and waited for her to go berserk.
    Bri shrieked, "Mia, are you fucking crazy?"
    Her voice raised an octave higher than I was comfortable with. I checked up front to make sure the boys were still fishing while motioning for her to take it down a notch. Thankfully, they weren't any the wiser. Bri lowered her tone but continued to freak out. Her face wavered as her nerves accelerated. She wrung her hands together narrowing her eyes at me.
    "I can't believe you're even thinking about doing this. I may not have grown up there but I know how dangerous it is there if you cross the wrong people," she hissed.
    "Bri, I'm not crazy. After hearing him out, I know he asked me because I grew up there. I also believe that it is how my work comes across. I'm cutthroat with my writing and that makes me a good candidate when you're trying to complete an exposé of a corrupt company. I acquire and present the truth with no reservations about whose feelings may be hurt from it. Rather than finding a source, he's creating one. It's a ballsy move but it could payout...and not just for him."
    Her face remained in absolute disapproval. "What's in it for you?"
    "If I can get what he needs, he's offered me a guaranteed position with the magazine. It's an amazing opportunity," I answered excitedly.
    Bri frowned. "It sounds a lot like bribery for you to do something stupid Mia. Why are you even considering it?"
    I shrugged. "It's giving me the chance I need to get my life back on track. I'd be running a magazine in my twenties. It's unheard of. Besides, what's life without a little risk?"
    Bri glimpsed over her shoulder verifying the boys were still out of earshot then over to me.
    "Mia, you probably don't want to look at it this way but I have to say it. What you're considering is just as bad as what happened to you last year. You're signing up to do damage to people - powerful people. If they figure you that you betrayed them, they won't hesitate to make you pay for it."
    My eyes soaked in the horizon from our spot on the lake. The skyscrapers from downtown had become miniature Lego blocks. I looked to the sky taking in the clearness. It was a breathtaking shade of blue that breathed a wave of calmness in me.
    "I have thought about what you're saying. I would be crossing some serious lines that make me question myself. But you know what Bri...who's to judge me for being a horrible person on taking an offer like this one?"
    She stared impassively at me before she raised an eyebrow. I took a deep breath to continue.
    "I'm not above saying it's selfish of me to do something because I get a personal gain from it. I'd be just as selfish to walk away. I'm aware that there is a company out there that may be responsible for crimes affecting an entire city. They will continue to get away with hurting innocent people if