Freak by Jennifer Hillier Read Free Book Online

her date climbed in beside her and started the engine.
    A minute later, Jerry pulled out onto the street behind them, careful to keep one car back. Not that he had to worry aboutbeing spotted. Neither was expecting he’d be behind them, and of course Annie wouldn’t recognize the brand-new Jeep.
    Like the last six times, he was planning to follow his wife and her boyfriend back to Annie’s apartment, because that’s where George Jackson, the college basketball coach who was thirteen years younger than himself, richer, and in much better physical condition, had picked her up.
    Like the last six times, Jerry needed to see the goodbye kiss. He needed to see the man’s arms around his wife in that passionate embrace that always seemed to top off their dates together.
    Even though it stung like hell. Even though it aggravated him. Even though it caused the scar at his throat to itch like crazy from the stress. It was all as fresh and real as it had been six months ago when Annie had left him. She may have done the leaving, but it was Jerry who’d done the hurting.
    He knew he had to stop following her. None of this was healthy.
    The Range Rover turned left toward Annie’s place, and at the last second, Jerry turned right, which would take him to the freeway. There was someone he needed to see before he headed to the prison.
    He’d had enough self-punishment for one day.

chapter 6
    SHEILA CARED ABOUT Jerry a lot, but he was her close friend’s soon-to-be ex-husband, and the whole situation was awkward as hell.
    Jerry was one of Morris’s closest friends. Marianne (or Annie, as only Jerry was allowed to call her) was Sheila’s best friend, and the four of them had been through a lot together. But in a marital separation, it was always more than just the couple who split. Social circles fractured right along with the marriage. Sheila hadn’t seen Jerry in a couple of months at least, and she had no idea why he was here now, sitting in her office with a big manila folder in front of him. The morning had been difficult already, and she thought she’d escape to the university to catch up on some work. She sensed now that that wasn’t going to happen, and she pushed the papers she’d been grading aside.
    Jerry didn’t look good. Tired and skinny, he was dressed in a black turtleneck to hide the scar on his neck. He seemed to only wear turtleneck sweaters these days, and it was not a good fashion choice for him. They only made him look skinnier.
    “Sure you don’t want coffee?” she asked him again. “I can grab you a cup. If I’d known you were coming, I’d have stopped and picked up some muffins.”
    Jerry shook his head and glanced at his watch. It made her nervous that he wasn’t smiling. Usually he was always smiling.
    “I only have a few minutes,” he said, his voice raspy and raw. Even after a year, it still surprised Sheila to hear it. “I’m glad I tracked you down here. I stopped by your house and nobody was home. Where’s the big guy today?”
    Sheila smiled. Jerry always referred to Morris as the “big guy,” even though the two men were about the same height. Morris, however, outweighed Jerry by about seventy pounds. “Out, schmoozing clients from Hong Kong.”
    “Investment bankers work on Saturdays?”
    “If you consider golf, dinner, and poker to be work,” Sheila said drily. “I was lucky to see him this morning. He probably won’t be home till midnight.” She winced, trying not to think about the scene she’d made at brunch earlier.
    Jerry glanced at his watch again. “I’m actually glad he’s not around. It was you I came to see. I need to talk to you about something important.”
    “Something about you and Marianne?” The words were out before Sheila could stop herself. Shit. She hadn’t wanted to bring up Jerry’s wife, and now she had done just that.
    Jerry looked surprised. “No. Why would you think that?”
    “I—” Sheila stopped. She’d already stuck her foot in