Repressed (Deadly Secrets) by Elisabeth Naughton Read Free Book Online Page A

Will’s hip went off. Tension radiated from his shoulders as he lifted it to his ear, then pulled the receiver away from his mouth and said, “I need to take this. I’ve got an officer out front ready to take you back up to the high school.”
    He flicked Ethan another hard look, one Ethan returned, then turned away.
    Sam stepped past Ethan, more frustrated than she’d been all day, and headed for the parking lot. Ethan followed, and in the silence Sam knew she needed to say something, but she didn’t know what. Wasn’t sure what to think either. Had those words really been there? Was she making it all up? She couldn’t be. This wasn’t just in her head. Ethan had seen them.
    “Are you sure you’re okay going back to your house alone?” Ethan asked.
    The tingles spreading up her arm made Sam realize Ethan was touching her, and she stopped and looked up at him. “What?”
    “Someone’s obviously trying to send you a message.”
    Yeah, someone was. But she wasn’t about to let some stupid kid push her around. And, oh man, his hand felt really good. “I’m fine.”
    “Samantha—”
    God, she liked the way he said her name. Her full name. No one called her by her full name here. No one anywhere ever really had. She’d always been Sam, or Sami, or—in the case of her students—hey, you.
    He’s a shrink , a voice whispered in the back of her head. Be careful.
    “I’m fine,” she said again. “If Will thinks the previous teacher is involved, he’ll take care of it. He’s got someone on the way out to his house. I’m not worried.”
    But a tiny space deep inside was worried. And she knew that worry was going to trigger her nightmares and keep her from sleeping again tonight.
    Something hardened in Ethan’s expression as he looked back toward the emergency room doors. Sam wondered if the look had to do with Will or being around cops in general.
    Not her problem, she told herself as she forced a smile she didn’t feel. The sooner she got away from Ethan McClane and this combustible heat brewing between them, the better off she’d be.
    Through the glass doors, she spotted the police car waiting out front. “We should head back so you can get your car.”
    He nodded, and they moved toward the main double doors. But just as they reached them, Will’s voice called, “Dr. McClane.”
    They both turned, but this time Will was focused only on Ethan.
    “Yeah?” Ethan said beside her.
    “I need you to come with me.”
    “What for?”
    “Officers found a key in Thomas Adler’s locker. Your kid. Looks to be a copy of the key to Sam’s classroom.”
    Oh shit. Sam’s stomach lurched into her throat. Not Thomas . . .
    Will’s jaw clenched down. Hard. “They just picked him up for questioning.”

    Bitter fingers of denial clawed at Ethan as he stood in the interrogation room, staring down at Thomas. This day was turning into a never-ending nightmare. Two days ago, if someone had told him he’d be working with William Branson, in any way, he’d have said they were flippin’ nuts. The reality that he was now voluntarily helping the man sent an acidic burn straight through his gut.
    You’re not helping Branson, you’re helping Adler.
    He was. Or was trying to. Though at the moment “helping” was a generous term. Thomas Adler’s grandmother had refused to come to the station, and Ethan hadn’t been allowed in when they were questioning the kid. Now, several hours later, Branson, frustrated by Thomas’s lack of cooperation, had finally let Ethan have a crack at him. Ethan knew they weren’t alone. Branson and a handful of other cops were undoubtedly listening and watching through the one-way glass, but he was too pissed that he was back in this damn police station again to care. Once was way more than enough in one lifetime. And the fact that it was possible his kid was the one harassing Samantha Parker left him seeing red.
    “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Thomas finally said, staring down