Justice For Abby by Cate Beauman Read Free Book Online Page B

perfectly cooked pieces on plates, then plucked the toast from the toaster. She brought the dishes with her to the small table instead of the bar where they typically ate. Today was their day off—or mostly. She wanted them to enjoy it.
    The door closed, and Jerrod walked to the table, settling in the seat next to her. “Smells good.”
    She breathed deep. “Mmm.”
    He cut in and took a bite. “Delicious as always. Thanks.”
    She savored the fluffy eggs, feta, and veggies on her tongue. “You’re welcome.”
    Jerrod unfolded the paper as she stared out the windows, glancing toward the lights already on in Ethan Cooke Security’s thirty-fourth-floor offices five blocks away. She smiled, watching Los Angeles awaken for the day. She loved the city, was fascinated by the people, the buildings, the energy . Hagerstown had been a safe, quiet place to grow up, but she’d yearned for the excitement of urban living for as long as she could remember. Life moved faster here. She could watch the hustle and bustle from her windows high above or take the elevator down nineteen floors to the bottom and be a part of the action—with a dozen safety precautions in place, but that was a temporary problem. She picked up her glass of juice, enjoying the sweet bite of orange. “So, what’s happened in the world since yesterday?”
    Jerrod turned the page. “Well, rumor has it we rang in a new year.”
    “You don’t say.”
    “There was a water main break over in West Hollywood. Guess it’s a damn mess.”
    She sipped again. “Fascinating.”
    “Looks like the cops finally made an arrest in the ‘Pirate Bandit’ case.”
    “Good. Another bank robber off the streets.”
    He frowned, grunting as his eyes tracked along the next page. “They found that woman who was abducted in the Las Vegas area Wednesday night.”
    “That’s great.”
    He shook his head. “She’s dead.”
    “Oh.” She scooted closer to Jerrod’s side, glancing at the picture of the beautiful raven-haired victim, reading the story of the newlywed found badly beaten, raped, and stuffed in a dumpster behind some nightclub. “That’s so sad. I hate stories like this. I was hoping they would find her alive.”
    “It’s unfortunate. Hopefully they’ll catch the bastard who did it.”
    “Yeah.” She played with the remaining bites of her breakfast. The story hit too close to home. How many times had she witnessed a beating in the stash house or in the filthy dressing room at Lady Pink? And rape… She’d been powerless to stop the violence. She set her fork down and picked up her juice, sipping, relieving her dry throat as Jerrod turned to the next page and brought the paper closer to his face.
    “What the fuck?”
    Abby’s eyes popped wide, and she barely kept the juice from dribbling out of her mouth as she stared at Jerrod. Never ever had he raised his voice. And she’d rarely heard him utter the f-bomb. “Easy there, big guy. The Lakers aren’t doing that bad.” She expected a smile, but didn’t get one.
    “Abby, this story’s about Lily.”
    “What?” She set her glass down with the first stirrings of unease and scooted close to Jerrod again, looking over his shoulder.
    LILY THOMAS BRAND EXPLOITING THE EXPLOITED read the headline. Below it were pictures of Monique, Tera, and Trista walking the catwalk at last month’s show. “What is this?”
    “A big goddamn problem. Who’s Toni Terrell?”
    “Uh, she’s only one of the biggest fashion reporters in LA.” She glanced at the byline, noting Toni’s name.
    “Damn.” Jerrod stood and grabbed his phone from its holder against his hip, texting something, as she pulled the full-page article in front of her.
     
    …Lily Thomas, known for her philanthropic acts…former prostitutes walking the runways in the fashion queen’s wears…paid below standard wage…damage to an industry already under scrutiny for exploitation…
     
    “No.” She pushed back from the table and stood,