Exposed by Laura Griffin Read Free Book Online Page B

between her brows. “If you know all this about him, why don’t you arrest him?”
    “What we know and what we can prove are two different things. It boils down to evidence. And we appreciate your help with that.”
    “I hope it pans out.”
    They stared at each other for a long moment, and he saw a flicker of something in her eyes. An awareness.
    “Listen, Maddie—”
    Her phone chimed. She dug it out of her purse and read the screen. “Damn, I have to go.” She looked up at him. “Injury accident up on Route 12.”
    Opportunity blown. She grabbed her bag, and Brian stood up as she scooted out of the booth.
    “Let me know how it goes with the bank cams, okay? I’m very interested in Jolene Murphy’s investigation.” She pulled the scarf around her neck. “Even if you don’t find anything, I still want to know.”
    “Sure.”
    “I mean it.” She pinned him with a look. “Don’t keep me out of the loop—I hate that.”
    “I won’t,” he promised. “I’ll call you either way.”

     
    Jolene had to pee. Again.
    She lifted her head and took a longing look at the toilet four feet away.
    She closed her eyes and bit down on the gag tied around her face. The bandanna was dry as sawdust, just like her mouth. She didn’t understand it. How couldher body produce pee and tears and snot, when she’d never felt so dehydrated in her life?
    Tears burned her eyes, and she squeezed them back. They didn’t help. They only made it worse. She looked down at what remained of her hand. It was purple and swollen, hardly recognizable as human, and she’d been trying not to stare at it. If she’d seen something like it on the Discovery Channel, she would have thought it was some kind of exotic coral.
    A door slammed. Jolene’s heart jumped into her throat. She glanced at the crack beneath the door as the familiar male voice reached her. She listened, trying to tell if he was on the phone again, or if someone else was with him.
    Please, no more . The tears were back, making hot tracks down her cheeks. She scooted farther under the sink and pulled herself into a ball. Her heart pounded wildly.
    She listened.
    He was on the phone, speaking Russian, or Serbian, or some other language she didn’t know. He sounded like Katya’s father did whenever he got really mad.
    The door swung open. She blinked at the brightness. She glanced at his hand—no hammer. The relief was so strong she felt light-headed.
    “Let’s go,” he said gruffly. He crouched beside her, and she smelled the stink of onions on his breath. Her stomach growled, desperate for food, even something as repulsive as whatever he’d been eating.
    Metal clinked as he unlocked the cuff attached to the drainpipe.
    Where are we going? she wanted to ask, but shecouldn’t ask anything. She couldn’t say a word, and her desperate kicks and moans over the endless hours had gone unanswered.
    He pushed a sweatshirt at her and hauled her to her feet. The hallway was bright and empty. She blinked at it and then turned to face him. Vlad. His name was Vlad. If she ever got this gag off, she was going to find a way to use his name and maybe make a connection. She was going to plead for her life.
    She looked at the bandage on the bridge of his nose and the gray eyes, flat and cold.
    “Go,” he grunted. He grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the light.

CHAPTER 4

     
    By the time Maddie left the building, the sun had dipped below the trees and there was no way she was making it to a seven P.M. yoga class. She tossed the tail of her scarf over her shoulder and started down the stairs.
    And spotted Brian getting out of his car. Her stomach fluttered as she watched him walk up the path with that confident gait that was undeniably appealing. She couldn’t help it. She found him attractive. There—she could admit it. Not that she’d ever admit it to him.
    He stopped in front of her and smiled slightly. “Hey.”
    “What brings you here?”
    “Came to see if this place