Held by You by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online Page A

cell phone rang. He drew it out of the holster on his belt and looked at the screen. He pressed a button to silence the ring and put the phone back in its holster.
    He went to a pantry and withdrew a box of hot chocolate packages and a bag of mini marshmallows. “You didn’t get a chance to eat those nachos,” he said as he put water into a polished copper teakettle. “You’ve got to be even hungrier now.”
    She nodded, noticing for the first time since they’d ordered the nachos that she was lightheaded from being so hungry. “Yes. You could say that.”
    “Let me see what I have.” He turned the heat on under the teakettle. “Can’t promise I have anything fancy.”
    “I’ll eat anything.” She watched him as he went to the fridge and opened it. It did look pretty bare from where she was sitting.
    He looked over his shoulder at her. “I’ve got hard salami, cheese, and crackers.”
    “Sounds great.” She stood and rubbed her palms on her jeans. “I can help.”
    He set the packages of cheese and salami on the counter and grabbed a box of crackers from the pantry, then brought out a cutting board, a knife, and a couple of plates. She took over slicing the meat and cheese while he brought out a pair of mismatched mugs from a cabinet.
    The teakettle whistled, steam shooting through the spout. He turned the heat off from beneath the kettle and set it on a cool burner. While she arranged the food on the plates and added crackers, he tore open packages of hot chocolate mix and poured them into the mugs before adding water. He stirred the chocolate before plopping marshmallows into the mugs and stirring the chocolate again.
    She carried the plates of cheese, salami, and crackers to the table and he followed with the hot chocolate as they settled in seats across from each other. She picked up her mug and blew on the hot contents, breathing in the warm scent of chocolate before sipping from it. She closed her eyes as she rolled the chocolate over her tongue. The taste was rich and sweet and felt good siding down her throat to her stomach.
    She opened her eyes to find John watching her. He had the look of a man starved for something, but that look passed as their gazes met.
    Heat from the mug warmed her fingers as she held it between her palms. “It’s good,” she said.
    He drank from his own mug and set it aside before starting in on his plate of food. She watched him from beneath her lashes as he stacked cheese and meat on a cracker then put the whole thing into his mouth in one bite. She smiled as she took a small bite of the stack she’d made on her own plate.
    It was quiet for a while as they ate. For a few moments she couldn’t think of anything to say. When she finally did, she cleared her throat. “All of your brothers are in some form of law enforcement.”
    He nodded. “My stepbrother, Garrett, is a private investigator and my other stepbrother, Reese, is a detective. And I mentioned to you before that my blood brother, Mike, is the county sheriff.”
    “You get along with your stepbrothers?” she asked, thinking of her own.
    “They’re both standup guys,” John said. “They’re all good men.”
    “Did you always get along?” she asked.
    The corner of his mouth curved into a smile. “I wouldn’t say that. When we were young we had our fair share of fights. I don’t think we really appreciated each other until we were adults.”
    “I wish I could say the same.” She tried to smile and not to let any sadness or pain enter her voice. “I wasn’t quite as fortunate.”
    John’s expression darkened and she wished she hadn’t said anything at all. “One way or another, I’m going to figure something out that will get them out of your life. For good.”
    “Right now I don’t see how.” She gave him a little smile. “Unless you’re able to arrest them and send them to prison. But I doubt they’ve done anything bad enough to end up in prison.” She frowned. “At least I don’t