Dangerous Secrets by Katie Reus Read Free Book Online Page B

And I guess I don’t understand why you’ve been pushing me so hard to settle down lately.”
    “I want you to be happy.”
    “What makes you think I’m not?”
    “You moved to another city to get away from me.”
    His words embedded deep in her chest. “You know exactly why I left, Dad. It’s because—”
    “I’m getting another call. I’ll talk to you soon, sweetie.” His voice was gruff and hoarse.
    “Love you, Dad.”
    “Love you too.”
    She knew he’d gotten off the phone because he hadn’t liked where the conversation was headed. It didn’t matter that she’d been justifiably angry at him when she’d left Savannah, she somehow still felt guilty when she talked to him.
    She pushed up from the bed and shoved away her guilt. If she was going to seduce Adam tonight, she had to stop worrying about things she couldn’t do anything about. She quickly changed into a bathing suit and grabbed a towel from her linen closet. Work was a couple hours away and for the first time in a while, she didn’t have a thing to do.
    After tossing a bottle of water and her MP3 player into her bag, she locked up and started the short trek toward the apartment complex’s pool. The small pool was nothing compared to her father’s Olympic-size monstrosity, but it provided a place to soak up some sun.
    She slathered sunscreen on her fair skin and settled onto one of the lounge chairs. Except for two other women, the pool area was empty. It was warm enough to lay out, but the water was undoubtedly too cold. In a month or two the place would be teeming with kids and other residents.
    Just as she got comfortable, the shrill ring of her phone shattered the quiet atmosphere. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered on the off chance it was Adam calling from another line.
    “Hello?”
    “You’re going to pay for your interference last night.” The voice of the caller was male, but one she didn’t recognize.
    She shifted slightly in her seat. “Excuse me?” Maybe this was a wrong number.
    “You heard me. You get to replace that whore from last night, Isabelle. ” His voice was without inflection and the way he said her name gave her the creeps.
    Izzy sat up and pushed her sunglasses on her head. “What did you say?”
    “You looked like a slut at the museum today so I’m guessing you’re a whore too.”
    A flash of hot then cold skittered over her skin. This guy had seen her? She glanced around, worried he might be watching her.
    “Get ready, bitch. Your time is coming.”
    The line went dead before she could find her voice.
    An icy chill washed over her and grasped her chest in a tight, unforgiving hold. She tossed on her cover-up, picked up her towel and other belongings and hurried back to her place. That couldn’t have been the man from last night, could it? How had he gotten her phone number? And what did he mean “replace?” It couldn’t be what she thought, could it?
    The implication of his words sent shivers snaking down her spine. Once she was back at her apartment and the deadbolt was in place, she allowed herself to breathe easier, but her pounding heart didn’t abate. Maybe this was a prank.
    The phone was still grasped tightly in her hand. The thought of calling the police crossed her mind but she knew they couldn’t do anything about a phone call. They’d just file a report. And if she called her father he’d flip out and probably drive down to see her. Or worse he’d hire a bodyguard—or ten. She tried calling Adam twice but it went straight to voicemail. Next she tried Carolyn but she didn’t pick up either.
    Even though she was safely locked behind a door, she couldn’t shake the nerves that had overtaken her body. She set her phone on the kitchen table and wiped sweaty palms on her legs. Growing up, her father had always worried about her safety. Over the years she’d taken multiple self-defense classes so she knew she could take care of herself. Still, to have someone call her