Tomahawk by Erica Hale Read Free Book Online

that's not going to happen."  I was tired of talking about it.  Five years ago this wouldn't have happened.  All this time I thought I was keeping her safe, keeping her away from the things that I done.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  Right now she would be having what she would call her lazy Saturday.  She'd walk around in my shirt and make breakfast.  I would have to go to work and she would say she was going out.  Then I would beg her to stay. I wanted her to be home when I got there.  Just the thought of her not being there made me sick to my stomach.
    She would call herself Rapunzel. I kept her in a fortress. I was the only one that had the key.  It stung a little bit, but I knew that I kept her safe.
    Ryan hit the end button on his cell phone call from Melissa who'd got into the hotel's system.  They walked right past the front desk right to the 9th floor.  "Mel is still fired up about the bomb.  She thinks that Tonya is hiding something."
    What the hell could she be hiding from me or us for that matter?  "Well, Mel is okay, so she shouldn't be worrying about that."
    Ryan shrugged as he got of the elevator.  "True, she thinks that we should be looking at our victim first and not the perpetuator."  I ignored him as we stood in front of Tonya's hotel door. "Should we knock?"
    I gave my brother a look.  "We aren't going to kick the door in."  I knocked.  We heard movement on the other side of the door.  "Tonya, it’s me and Ryan. Open the door."  I looked at my brother whose jaw was clenched.  He took a step back.  I warned him as he brought his leg up to kick in the door. "Don't you dare." 
    The door opened a crack.  I put my hand on my weapon and walked in.  Tonya walked back to the bed and sat.  "What was I thinking. I should have known you two would find me."
     

Chapter 5
    Pulling his t-shirt off his head to step into the shower,  Brian Battle thought about her.  What he told the last officer wasn't completely true about the day that he met her.  True, he was at the school to talk to the students about the dangers of drugs and gangs.  The thing about being lost was a total work of fiction.  He sat in the principal’s office before the assembly.  Then he saw her. Tonya wasn't the type of woman that he would go for. She was too short.  He liked them tall and preferably blonde.  She walked in the small office and gave him a quick glance and smile.  Not like how other women did.  They would see him and their eyes would bug out and turn away rapidly.  She treated him just like any other person on the street.

"Hi, I'm Brian.  I'll be speaking here at the school today,"  He had said.
    She never looked away or became suddenly shy or blushed.  "Good for you."  Pulling her hand from him and continuing her conversation with the school receptionist.  Tonya left him standing there like a fool in front of the whole office.
    "I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't get your name."
    "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't give it."  She smiled up at him.  "Now if you would excuse me, I need to go back to my class before recess ends."  She didn't even care that he had noticed her rolling her eyes at the receptionist.
    He couldn't help but follow her.  Stepping in front of her in the hallway.  "I'm not trying to bug you but--"
    "Then don't," said and side-stepped him.
    "Can I try to get to know you?  Whoever he was. He’s not me."
    That made her stop dead in her tracks. Brian wiped the smile from his face before she could turn completely around.  "Sir--"
    "Brian."  Smiling.
    "Mr. Brian, I try my best not to entertain foolishness.  You don't know me."  His mouth opened to speak.  She lifted one pointer finger to stop him.  "Frankly, I don't want you to take the time in you trying to get to know me.  So again, your insult was childish and as you can see--" She shot her arms out wide and looked from side to side.  "I'm surrounded by children.  So, let's end this conversation."  She smiled and her modest