Full House by Janet Evanovich Read Free Book Online Page B

head. With Nick Kaharchek you never knew what to expect.
    Joel and Christie catapulted themselves off the front step with a shriek of excitement.
    Joel was the first inside. "It's got a bathroom. Oh, neat!"
    Christie climbed into the bunk above the cab. "Mom, look at this! You can sleep up here and it has a big window and it's so cozy and comfy."
    "It has a refrigerator and there's food in it," Joel said, wide-eyed. "There are grapes and peaches and juice in here. And cupcakes and yogurts and lots of other stuff. Man, this is great!"
    Nick leaned close to Billie. "It's also got a bedroom in back with a queen-sized bed. What do you think?"
    "I think Joel's right. It's great. Are we going camping?" She had not planned to be gone overnight. Both animals were out of the house and Raoul was coming in to spray. She hoped Deedee would remember to leave as well so the fumes would not make her ill.
    "Nope. This is a day trip

Chapter Thirteen
    "Wait!" Billie said as Nick started for the stairs once more. "Stop right there."
    "You should let him kill Max," Deedee said. "At least for what the little creep did to all my makeup."
    Nick came to a halt. "Don't try to stop me, Billie," he said, gritting his teeth. "I've put up with as much from that kid as I plan to. He's dangerous. He needs to be behind bars."
    "Do you
know
that Max did it? Were there any witnesses?"
    "None of the stable hands saw anything and nobody was at the house, but it happened shortly after Max caught a ride over here with Mrs. Duffy, who was on her way to the grocery store."
    "Just calm down. I'll get Max. Deedee, you pour Nick a cup of coffee and try to talk some sense into him." She realized, even as she said it, how ludicrous that sounded.
    "Come on, Nick," Deedee said. "Together we'll figure out where to bury the body."
    Billie shot Deedee a dark look as she started up the stairs. "That's not funny."
    Billie heard loud music coming from the other side of Joey's door. She had to knock twice before her son called out to her to come in. She found Max and Joey sitting cross-legged on the floor, already intent on a game of checkers. She wondered how someone like Max could feel challenged with a kid's game, then wondered if Max had ever really been a kid.
    "Max, could you come downstairs a moment?" she said, trying to make herself heard over the music. "Nick needs to speak with you."
    He looked up. "What'd I do this time?"
    "I'd rather you talk to him about that." Joey started to get up as well. "And you need to stay in your room until I call you," she said to her son. "This is private business." Joey opened his mouth as if to argue, but the look on her face obviously told him it was best to do as she said.
    Max followed Billie downstairs and into the kitchen. Nick bolted from the stool and grabbed the boy by his collar. "By the time I finish with you, you're going to wish you'd never been born." Max's eyes widened.
    "Hold it!" Billie ordered. "Take your hands off him right this minute. I'll not have any violence in this house."
    "What's going on?" Max demanded, jerking away from Nick.
    "Don't act like you don't know what this is about," Nick almost spat. "My Mercedes has been blown to hell and back. The explosion shattered half the windows in the house."
    "Oh, man!" Max blinked several times behind his glasses. "Was anybody hurt?"
    "Why should you care? According to the bomb squad, that bomb was timed to go off an hour after it was activated. You were long gone by then."
    Billie had never seen Nick so upset. The veins stood out in his forehead, his jaw was hard as concrete. "Nick, please," she cried. She saw that her children had come to the top of the stairs and were listening to the entire exchange. There was little she could do. If she walked away from Nick in his rage, he might hurt Max.
    "Why are you trying to protect him?" Nick demanded.
    Billie looked at Max. "Did you blow up Nick's car? Tell me the truth."
    "Hell, no, I didn't blow it up."
    Nick almost snarled