Shattered Heart (Z series) by Jerri Drennen Read Free Book Online Page B

her head and yawned. In the air she caught a whiff of fresh-brewed coffee and rushed to get out of bed, reaching for the robe lying on the edge of the mattress. She wrapped the soft, pink terrycloth around her and padded down the hall to the kitchen.
    Zack stood leaning against the counter, a steaming mug in his hand. He smiled when she walked into the room.
    “I hope you don’t mind that I made myself at home.”
    “Not at all.” She grabbed a cup from the stand and filled it to the brim.
    “How’d you sleep?” She took a sip of her coffee.
    “Like a baby.” He smiled again, revealing straight, incredibly white teeth.
    “So, how long have you and JT known each other?” She studied the man before her, since she didn’t get a chance the night before. He was tall, lean and nicely built—every bit as handsome as JT, just in a lighter way. He had a head of blonde, sun-streaked hair that had been cropped short, his bangs coming down at a slight angle in the front. His eyes were his best asset—a striking green that held a spark of something mischievous. Instinctively, she could tell he had a sense of humor by that alone—so unlike JT, who seemed much more reserved.
    “We’ve been roomies for a couple of years now.”
    Zack’s answer pulled her from her inspection.
    Charlotte nodded.
    “How long has your agency been aware of Terran’s activities?” Why hadn’t she even thought to ask JT this question? Because... she couldn’t think clearly around him. He distracted her beyond reason.
    “Homeland security contacted us when they were unable to find anything in the shipments Terran received. JT had three months to prepare for the job he acquired.”
    “So, I take it, you weren’t sure what my husband even had on William, let alone that he was trying to woo the man’s widow?”
    Zack shook his head. “We had no idea what he was up to. JT came in to the Terran Corporation, hoping to see for himself what your husband might have found. But now, Terran clearly knows there is evidence to his crimes floating around somewhere and he wants to find it before anyone else does.”
    Charlotte sighed. To think that Shaun was keeping all this to himself for months made her love him even more. Just to make sure she’d stay safe. How hard that must have been for him, since the two had always shared everything.
    She’d bet the bank JT didn’t share anything with anyone, besides maybe the men he worked with.
    “How do you guys have any kind of home life with the type of job you do?”
    Zack laughed. “Most of us are single or divorced.”
    Charlotte swallowed hard. Did JT have an ex-wife? “Have you ever been married?” She hoped by asking Zack the question, JT’s marital status would come up.
    He shook his head. “Not even close. My other roommate just got married. They have a baby on the way.”
    “Really?”
    “They had a past together. Always-loved-each-other-type of thing.”
    “How about JT? Does he have an ex-wife somewhere?”
    Zack snorted. “Nope. I don’t ever see JT marrying. His childhood was awful. His mother wasn’t nurturing at all. Brought the wrong type of guys into his life. I’m not even sure she knew who JT’s father was. At least that’s what he alluded to, but I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”
    “I won’t say a word,” Charlotte assured him.
    “Most of the guys who end up in jobs like ours didn’t have a great life before entering the service. A lot were forced to enlist to stay out of trouble. I came from a line of servicemen. My father is retired military. His father before him. It just seemed natural to follow in their footsteps.”
    A knock on the back door had Charlotte’s heartbeat skittering.
    She walked over and looked out the window. JT.
    In a hurry, she unlocked the door, then opened it to him.
    “Morning.” He rushed past her to get inside.
    She closed the door. To keep her shaking hands busy, she readjusted her robe at the neckline.
    “Do you think