RAGE (The Rage Series Book 2) by MJ Riley Read Free Book Online Page B

that secret within her. For Emerson to be his father, she must have known him before she had been married to his father. She had lied to Lester, and she had lied to him—and that hurt almost as much as carrying twenty years of hate within himself.
                  “I need…I need a minute.” His heart heavy, David left the room, stalking down the hall in great strides until he reached his own bedroom. It was only after he'd closed and locked the door behind himself that he finally expelled a shaky breath, raking his hands through his mussed hair.
                  He had to breathe.
                  He had to get through this.
                  Had he really survived the last two decades only to crumble now? For as long as he could remember, David had been the strongest person he knew. He'd worked his way through both high school and college, supported his mother while he was still studying for SATs, and been successfully hired to one of the most renown tech companies in the world. Were his demons now going to envelop him and kick him when he was down?
                  Suddenly, he was faced with an almost violent desire for Charlotte.
                  Certainly, she'd never known exactly how terrifying the skeletons in his closet were; but, in her own way, she'd tried to help. He'd never been able to talk to her as she'd wished; but, the few weeks that he'd been with her had been some of the most fulfilling, albeit confusing, times in his life.
                  He desperately wished that there had been some way to take Emerson down without hurting her. He was going to have to work to dig himself out of a massive hole and that would be task enough without pining for a woman he would never have.
                  At a sudden knock on his door, David frowned. He'd said he needed a minute. Not that he didn't appreciate all the help Marshall and Leah were offering, but he needed time to regain his composure. His mouth set in a firm line, he crossed his small bedroom and yanked open the door.
                  Then, he froze.
                  Staring up at him were the bright blue eyes, gorgeous face, and pouting mouth of none other than Charlotte Mathers. There were bags under her eyes that suggested that she hadn't been sleeping well, and her clothes were somewhat less pressed than usual. However, it was her in the flesh. Faced with such a surprise, David had no idea to react.
                  He simply stared.
                  “David, I'm sorry man.” Marshall's head popped up behind her, his expression irritated. “She barged her way in. Said she had to speak with you.”
                  “David, please.” Charlotte's voice sounded almost as weary as he felt. “We need to talk.”
                  He should refuse her.
                  He still remembered her chilling scream when he'd hit her father and the way she'd looked at him after. It was as if he were an absolute stranger. That had been one of the most painful moments of the past week. It had been like she'd turned on him in an instant, all while he'd been trying to save her.
                  “It's fine, Marshall.” He had to force the words out, but when they finally came, the blonde woman before him sagged in relief. “Just give us a few minutes. I'm sure Charlotte doesn't have a terribly large list of things to go over.”
    Charlotte winced at the sarcasm in his voice before setting her own jaw firmly. Marshall shot her a suspicious look before reluctantly turning towards the living room. Hesitantly, Charlotte stepped over the threshold to his room, and, all at once, David was embarrassed. He'd always told himself to be proud of what he had because he'd worked his ass off for it, but his tiny Lower East Side apartment seemed woefully small when he mentally compared it to Charlotte's