Crime and Passion by Marie Ferrarella Read Free Book Online Page A

it’s so damn noisy in here, I thought maybe it was just me.”
    “You’re still at the party?” Clay had difficulty picturing his father in that kind of social situation. Ever since his mother had disappeared, his father had become the very core of the family unit. Because he’d become such a fixture, there were times Clay had to remind himself that his father needed to get out among his own kind.
    He heard his father chuckle. In the background the noise level picked up. “You’re missing a hell of a time. By the way, Adrienne Ballard is asking after you.”
    Patrol Officer Adrienne Ballard was just one of the scores of women he’d gone out with since his breakup with Ilene. Blond, vibrant and nicely endowed, Adrienne was a woman who knew how to enjoy herself and how not to complicate things by trying to bring up the matter of strings. In short, his kind of woman.
    Still, the notion of seeing Adrienne right now did nothing for him. He tried to tell himself it was because he was on duty but the truth of it was after a handful of dates with the woman, he’d found himself getting bored, wanting to move on. She hadn’t kept his mind occupied—the way Ilene had.
    “That’s nice,” he said dismissively. “Listen, Dad, I need a favor.”
    “Ask.”
    That he was one of the lucky ones was once again brought home to him. His father was always there, always willing to help. Clay knew by experience that not too many people could say that about either of their parents.
    “How do you feel about having a houseguest? Two,” he amended, remembering the boy sleeping upstairs.
    “Two?” The long pause on the other end surprised Clay. “Look, Clay, this is just as much your house as it is mine, you know that, but, call me old-fashioned, I draw the line at something kinky—”
    The seriousness of the situation eroded for a moment as Clay struggled not to laugh. Obviously, his father thought of him as a wild stud. “Dad, Dad, hold it. It’s not like that. I need a safe place for a friend and her little boy.”
    There was relief in the sigh Clay heard. “Oh, sure. When?”
    “Now.” Clay kept his fingers mentally crossed.
    His father didn’t disappoint him. “Right. I can be home in about fifteen minutes.”
    Clay grinned. The man was a rock. He should have known there was nothing to worry about.
    “Thanks, Dad.” Time to launch into the second phase of his plan. “Do you know if Shaw and Callie are still at the party?”
    “Callie left with Brent, but Shaw’s still here.” Andrew made no effort to disguise his curiosity. “Why?”
    Clay glanced toward Ilene and wasn’t surprised to see that she appeared to be listening to every word. Why shouldn’t she? It was her future that was being bandied about here. “I’m going to need decoys.”
    This time the pause was pregnant, as if Andrew was entertaining various scenarios. “Is it that serious?”
    “I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t.”
    “Well, I don’t know where Rayne is, I never do with that girl, but I did see Teri a few minutes ago, will she do?”
    All three of his sisters had basically the same height and coloring. Their hair was lighter than Ilene’s, but their builds were similar and they just needed the suggestion of Ilene, not an exact duplicate. “Just as good. I’ll give them each a call. See you in a little while.”
    Clay rang off. But before he could start punching in his brother’s cell phone number, Ilene placed her hand on his wrist. “Why do you need decoys?”
    He saw the heightened state of alert in her eyes. Despite her protest, maybe she was finally beginning to see how really serious the situation was.
    “Because if I’m right, they might still be watching the house, waiting for me to leave. If I leave with you, they’re going to follow.” He saw her brow furrow. “But not if they think we’ve already left.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    He didn’t have time to go over the particulars. There were things left