High Risk by Vivian Arend Read Free Book Online Page B

every person who would support and be there for her, another
     would step forward and willingly rake her over the coals. Revile her, because the
     assumption had to be that she killed her partner.
    No one knew how to hurt quite like family did.
    He was still holding her hand, his fingers curled protectively around hers. “You can
     trust them. You can trust me.”
    Becki nodded.
    He squeezed tighter before releasing her, shifting back in his seat. The unreadable
     expression was gone, revealing something close to embarrassment. “I have a favour
     to ask.”
    This time she waited.
    He twisted a grin at her. “I want to train with you as well.”
    Oh really.
“With the team?”
    * * *
    Marcus coughed into his fist and gazed at the ceiling for a moment.
God
, was this stupidly awkward. “No. Yes, maybe later.” He shook his head and laughed,
     an ironic deprecating laugh. “I climbed after the accident. Got a couple attachments
     adapted for the prosthetic, but I’ve gotten out of the habit.”
    Her eyes went wide for a moment before she nodded. “Okay. We can do some time together.
     If you’re sure—”
    “Stop it already with the warning. I’m not deaf, and you’re not dangerous.”
    “Denying the possibility is irresponsible,” she snapped, “but that wasn’t what I was
     going to say.”
    Her indignation made her face brighten with heat. He liked how she looked all riled
     up. “Sorry. Go on.”
    Becki grabbed her coat from behind her as she rose to her feet. “Just wanted to warn
     you that I won’t go easy on you. You sure you can handle it?”
    Nice. The images of handling Becki probably weren’t the ones she was thinking of,
     but they’d get there eventually. His goal of getting her back into his bed had to
     start somewhere, and having ropes involved?
    He was totally okay with that.
    They were at the door of the shop, where she’d managed to nab the door ahead of him,
     pulling it open and standing waiting for him to pass through. He paused as he stepped
     next to her, close enough he didn’t have to speak loudly to respond.
    “I look forward to handling anything you want to send my way.”
    Her cheeks were already flushing before he turned and headed to the truck.
    She didn’t say anything when she joined him, just made a show of examining the shops
     along Banff Avenue before he turned up the hill to head to the school. Hiding her
     face from him.
    Marcus bit back his grin and whistled all the way to the gym.
    She grabbed her bag from the backseat. “Thanks for breakfast. When do you want to
     get together to discuss things in more detail?”
    “Tonight?”
    Becki bit her bottom lip briefly. “What about this afternoon?”
    He shrugged, getting out and heading around to her side of the vehicle. “Either is
     fine.”
    She frowned as he stood waiting for her. “What are you doing?”
    “You’re meeting Alisha, right? At ten?”
    She nodded.
    “I still have time, then. Come on.”
    Her hesitation to enter the gym made him wonder what exactly she thought they were
     going to do.
    “Holy cow.”
    Marcus pulled the door shut and pulled the bag he’d brought along with him from under
     his arm. “Okay guys, you can stop.”

CHAPTER 5

    Six sweaty faces turned toward them. Becki glanced around the space, quickly identifying
     the entire Lifeline team.
    Erin sat on a bench, a pair of dumbbells resting on her thighs. Anders uncurled himself
     from the sit-up bench beside her. Tripp leaned on a wall, his chest rocking as he
     breathed heavily. Devon rolled over and pushed himself to vertical, his shirtless
     chest shining with a slick of sweat. “So nice of you to return, oh mighty overlord.”
    A loud buzzer went off, and Alisha stomped over the floor to hit a switch on the wall.
     She sagged cross-legged to the floor. “I don’t know, Devon, that wasn’t so bad.”
    The way she allowed herself to collapse to her back in a messy heap made the words
     an obvious lie.
    “You’ll