Crystal Mac: A prologue novella to Captive Series Book 3 HELL'S HILLTOP by J. A. Dennam Read Free Book Online Page A

thought,” Melanie added from her place at the island. “She’s probably with the chemist now.”
    “Or she’s still at Lesico,” Mac said thoughtfully. “She must have crawled out as I climbed into the driver’s seat. It’s the only chance she had without me knowing.”
    Danny reached across the table, folded her hands over his. “Hey, you okay?”
    “Fine.” He gave her small hands a squeeze of assurance. She and Austin were his closest friends. The epitome of strength, even more so as a couple than they had been apart. But, it was Derek’s sister who had taken his sorry life and turned it into something positive. He’d still be slinging sledgehammers at minimum wage if it weren’t for her, and her presence always added a certain comfort no one else’s could.
    “It’ll be alright, M ac,” she said, her big brown eyes reflecting doubt in his answer. “If she saved you, I’m sure she’s still on the right track, even if she is operating under her own rules.”
    “But we’ll never know for sure unless we catch up with her again.”
    “I should’ve known better than to let you go with her,” Derek murmured as he leaned against the counter, his back to them all. “It should have been me.”
    “Like you could have done any better with your chest wound,” Austin said in Mac’s defense. “Mac was the right choice. Danny thought Crystal had some kind of thing for him, so she’d naturally want to help him.”
    “I don’t know about that,” Mac said with a sour look.
    Danny slid out of her seat and joined him on his bench. When he continued to stare at his hands, she bumped shoulders. “You’re every girl’s white knight, you big lug. Take it from me.”
    Of course she’d feel that way. He was her first defender w hen she came to work at Cahill Salvage, while Austin still had her in his crosshairs. Mac never liked that his boss had targeted her in his revenge attempt against Derek. Eventually, the two men had duked it out in the shower room, and it had taken him and two other guys to pull them apart.
    Things were good between the former enemies , now, but it would be a gross understatement to say Derek had changed since then. If he wanted to kick the shit out of someone, it wouldn’t be any hillbilly brawl this time.
    “Hey.” Danny gave his forearm a pat. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you go home? Get some sleep.”
    Sleep? Ha! “What about the ghosts downstairs?”
    “Austin will stand guard. You were lit up more than once tonight and I know how hard that is on the body.”
    Since Danny had been subjected to a few volts once upon a time, any excuse he came up with to put her at ease would be a total load of shit.
    “Yeah,” he conceded with a nod. “Guess I’ll go recharge. Catch some zee’s.”
    When they stood, Mac walked over to the playpen and paid silent homage to the blond toddler asleep inside it. “Night, sport,” he whispered, wishing he could bury his mustache in the kid’s neck as was their nightly bedtime ritual. DJ loved it. Mac missed it.
    But, as of yesterday, nothing would ever be the same again.
     

     
    Mac tossed and turned on the living room hide-a-bed he’d called his own for the past year. Lacking a bedroom didn’t bother him as much as sharing one bathroom did, and he’d had to change his habits quickly after moving in with Mel and DJ. Privacy was limited in the tiny one-bedroom apartment.
    Of course, privacy had its advantages. Crystal’s masterful blowjob came to the forefront of his thoughts, giving him instant wood. Great. Not exactly the thing to coax sleep.
    He looked at the micro wave clock. 1:00 AM. It was Monday and their assistant would be opening the daycare’s doors in six and a half hours.
    His cell phone woke up with the marimba. He reach ed over, grabbed it off the end table. It was Danny, which meant something was wrong.
    When he answered, she sounded out of breath. “Rafferty’s gone.”
    Mac shot up, the hairs on his bare chest