Deadly Deception (SCVC Taskforce) by Misty Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

“At least act like you’re glad to see me.”
    “Why? Is someone watching?” she whispered back.
    She could have sworn he groaned ever so slightly at her breath on his ear. A little thrill ran through her at the sound. “Someone’s always watching, Susannah. You know that.”
    He kissed her then, his lips working over hers with a startling boldness. It felt good, but Ronni cut it short and drew back, ready to fillet him, when she saw they did indeed have an audience.
    A lawyer was cutting across the parking lot, briefcase in hand, watching the show. From the layers of gold chains around his neck and the high shine on his expensive loafers, Ronni pegged him for one of Sandoval’s.
    At the same time, Thomas’s hands were being much too familiar with her backside, turning her stomach to mush. Her pulse skipped in a wild rhythm. “Stop it.”
    “Come on. Is that any way to treat your recently jailed boyfriend?”
    Grabbing some skin on his side through his shirt, she pinched him.
    Which was quite a feat since there wasn’t an ounce of flab anywhere on his body.
    “Ouch!” He stepped back and rubbed the spot. “What are you doing?”
    “Pretending I’m your girlfriend,” she said under her breath, then raised her voice. “You lousy SOB. If you think I’m bailing your ass out of jail again, you can go blow yourself.”
    She stomped off toward the car, struggling to not totter too much in the ridiculous heels. The feeling reminded her of her childhood when she’d played dress up with her mother’s clothes and shoes, pretending to be rich and famous. Those were the days before her mother had fallen in love with Daniel Karsni. The days when her father came around once in a while and there was laughter in their house.
    Glancing over her shoulder, she stopped on the driver’s side of the car and caught Thomas staring at her butt. Pig . “You coming or not?”
    The lawyer had moved on, but others were still watching. One side of Thomas’s mouth lifted, his blue eyes snapping with the love of the game. “Oh, I’m coming, my gooey buttercup.”
    He hurdled over the passenger side door like he’d done the day before, and Ronni rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.
    A mile down the road, she turned left and headed north into the hills. “Was that act good enough for you?”
    “Perfect.” He rubbed his side as if it still stung and watched the passing scenery. “Where are you headed?”
    A check of the rearview reassured her they weren’t being followed. If someone was keeping tabs on Thomas, it wasn’t obvious. She took a bogus turn, just in case. “Your place.”
    “You know where I live?”
    She hadn’t just researched Legends of the Fall . “If you’re going to be my partner on this new assignment, you’ll need a makeover. Head to toe.” Another turn, another check of the rearview. A blue import followed, but passed them a moment later. “And I need breakfast. You owe me that, so I hope you’ve got eggs in your fridge.”
    “Really?” He had a weird look on his face. Reminded her of a puppy. “You’re taking me into the cult with you?”
    “Depends.”
    “On what?”
    “You’ll see.”
    “Um…” He glanced right and left. “This isn’t the way to my apartment.”
    “Heat run. I memorized the main thoroughfares around here while I was waiting for you this morning. Just making sure we’re not being followed.”
    “Paranoid much?”
    “You’re the one who said someone’s always watching.”
    He laughed. “Mostly, I said that to see what you’d do—how far you’d carry the op.”
    Irritation burned in her chest. He’d been testing her. “If we’re going to be partners…”
    “If we’re going to be partners, we have to trust each other. You don’t trust me— yet —and I don’t know how deep your PTSD runs.”
    Ronni signaled, left the flow of traffic, and slid into the first parking spot she could find. The fog had lifted and the sun glowed yellow in the sky. The cool