The Alignment by Kay Camden Read Free Book Online Page B

pleased, so I go inside the office to pay. The bill is brutal. I’m paying for my sins with both my sanity and my wallet. Some of them at least.
    When I go back outside she’s waiting for me. She opens her car door and glances over at me, unsure. I give a short wave and drop eye contact. There’s no need for any more words. She gets in her car and pulls away.
    The whole trip home I’m not far behind her. I’m not trying to follow her, but it seems as soon as I think she’s lost me, I turn a curve or go over a hill and there she is again, her red car throwing the sun’s reflection like a beacon. Alone in my truck the time passes quickly and soon we’re back within Black River city limits. If I don’t pick up the Ninja now, I might have to face her again tomorrow and ruin another perfectly good day. It will take me five minutes to load it into my truck and I’ll be out of there.
    I trail her up her driveway and to the house, and park behind her as she gets out of her car. I’m sure she’s already figured out why I’m here. She heads straight for the house, so I sit in my truck to let her get inside. Out of nowhere, her dog darts in front of her legs. She stumbles a few steps before steadying herself. Her irritated curse carries across the yard to me. Poor dog doesn’t know she’s been in a bad mood all day. The dog continues criss-crossing in front of her in an obvious attempt to impede her path, and I can’t help but chuckle. She stops.
    I follow her gaze to her wide-open front door.
    I’m out of the truck before I can think, defenses up. She turns around, and I’m already across the yard grabbing her shoulders.
    “Did you leave your door open this morning?” I try to keep my voice low.
    “No…” she says, in slow motion.
    “Get in the truck.” I push her between the shoulder blades toward the truck and slip up to the house.
    With my senses in overdrive, I remove my boots to silence my tread—there’s an audience out there, and whatever happens inside must be quiet and clean. I move around the house, checking every room, noting the destruction they’ve left behind. Every box is emptied, every drawer upturned. The guilt is a plastic bag over my face. My truck has been here too much, overnight even. They don’t know the situation. They thought I was staying here, with her. Do they think I’m that fucking stupid?
    It doesn’t matter what they think. I’ve carelessly drawn an innocent person into my purgatory due to my own negligence. I thought my apathy would be the death of me, but I was wrong. It will be the death of her.

Chapter 5
    Liv
    H e materializes at the front door and crosses the yard toward me in his socks. As he gets close, I notice his green eyes, intense, fierce, and a strange rigid poise to his body. He pulls on his boots without tying them, yanks open the driver’s side door, and slides inside.
    “I’m taking you to my house.”
    “No! Why?”
    “It’s not safe for you here. They think I’m here. They’re after me . If I leave you here they will come back.” He grips the steering wheel but stares straight ahead, not meeting my eyes. His jaw muscle tenses and rolls like he’s grinding his teeth. The steering wheel looks like a toy in his fists.
    “Who?” I laugh. “I can’t just leave. I live here. I’ll be fine.” I pull the door release to get out. He’s crazy.
    He grabs my wrist. “Please. Listen.” His eyes struggle to convince me. This violent change in him compared to the expression he wore all day is like a plunge in an icy lake.
    I twist out of his grasp and he returns his hands to the steering wheel. If he crushed it in his fists I wouldn’t be surprised. A primal fear builds inside me. His alarm is contagious. I have to see what he saw inside.
    “Can I at least get some stuff from the house?” I’m startled by the sound of my own words. I can’t really be going along with this.
    He shoves open his door, jumps out, and walks around the truck to open