Hide My Thoughts: A Romantic Suspense Thriller Book (Hide Me Series 2) by Lisa Ladew Read Free Book Online

waved as she drove away. The moment he stepped back inside the apartment he could feel the increased tension simmering there. His first thought was to run to Katerina’s door, but she was just inside the living room, staring intently at him.
    “Where were you?” Her voice was low and tense.
    “I walked Jordan to her car.”
    A variety of emotions passed over Katerina’s face. West watched them come and go, fascinated. He saw what looked to him like relief, anger, determination, and then curiosity.
    “So what is with Blaise anyway?” Katerina asked, the anger suddenly gone.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Why does he hate Jordan?”
    “Hate Jordan? He doesn’t hate Jordan.” West could feel his own confusion registering on his face. Hate was such a strong word. Katerina kept throwing him off every time she said something.
    “Well he sure isn’t nice to her. I think she might be interested in him, but he barely looks at her or talks to her.”
    West sighed. He hadn’t seen this coming. “Oh. I didn’t realize she was interested in him. He’s got this uh … thing, about badge bunnies.”
    Katerina’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck is a badge bunny?” she spat out.
    West winced at her choice of words and the venom with which she spoke them. She’d gone from normal, to hostile in a half a second. A week ago, he never would’ve believed she had a hostile bone in her body. He chose his words carefully. “You know, a woman who goes after police officers. Blaise says he would never date one. He says they’re untrustworthy and any officer he’s ever known who has gone out with one has regretted it. He says they cheat with the other officers.”
    “What does that have to do with Jordan?”
    “I don’t know. I’m just assuming I guess, because he’s seen her at the cop bar before, that maybe he thinks she’s one of them?” West saw danger in Katerina’s eyes. “I mean, I know she’s a perfectly lovely person and I’m sure she’s not like that but maybe he just thinks that she is because he's seen her there.”
    This time the emotions didn’t just cross Katerina’s face, they exploded there. Disbelief, anger, then a deep and abiding rage. Her hands snatched at the items on the coffee table in front of her. She managed to grasp a magazine, and she opened it and ripped it right in half. West watched her, incredulous. She dropped the two pieces and pushed past West, stomping to the bedroom. She slammed the door hard, and West blinked, shaking his head. He wished Jordan had been here to see that. He would’ve liked to have known what she thought.
    West walked to the window and stared out of it. Being inside so much was really wearing on him. He was an outdoors guy, an active guy. Always moving, always doing something physical. It wouldn’t have been so bad, cramped inside this apartment, if Katerina was her normal self. But with her being so upset all the time, he felt like he was drowning.
    He needed to get her help. He wondered briefly if she had taken any of the pills yet, but knew she probably hadn’t. Maybe he should take her a glass of water…
    West’s phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it absently. “Shepherd.”
    “West, bro, you’re finally answering your phone. Where you been?”
    West huffed out a breath and relaxed at the sound of his brother’s voice. “Brody! Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. Things are crazy up here. How’s the company? How’s Dad?”
    “Dad’s the same. The company is booming. I’ve added fourteen new distributions this month. We’re going to have to start a new production line.”
    “That’s great, Brody. See I knew you’d be the best CEO the company ever had.”
    “Yeah well, that goes without saying…”
    West laughed and pictured the cocky grin he was certain was on his little brother’s face right now. The quintessential Brody grin. But Brody deserved to spout off a little bit. He was one of the youngest CEOs of any