Too Far Gone by Debra Webb, Regan Black Read Free Book Online Page B

weren’t going anywhere, she could make herself useful and prepare lunch. Doing anything was better than doing nothing.
    How could she have known Desmond Trinity so intimately for all those years and not have recognized he was far more than a top-notch agent and so much worse than a perpetual cheater? How long had he been involved with those men? She had never seen either of them at any of the parties they hosted or attended. She’d never heard the names Nikoli or Andreas before. Although Hollywood seemed like a big city, the television and film community was actually fairly small. Almost everyone knew everyone else.
    Had she been so successful in building that wall between her and Desmond that she ignored the trouble he had gotten himself into?
    The thought made her sad.
    Whatever happened to all those dreams she’d had of love and happily ever after as a young girl? In these days of uncoupling and overnight divorces, maybe true love no longer existed. She thought of the man in the other room and how he’d saved her life once already. In a movie he would be her knight in shining armor. He would defend her honor and then they’d ride off into the sunset together.
    Only this was real life and she wasn’t so sure knights in shining armor existed anymore.

 

Chapter Four
    Mike scrubbed at his face. His eyes were dry. He and Claudia had been at this for hours without getting anywhere with identifying the woman Lauren had seen in Trinity’s office. Claudia had confirmed that the witness and the woman Lauren saw were one and the same but the cops had not released her name.
    “Looks like the only way you’re going to learn what Trinity was up to is by shaking the bushes,” Claudia said. “If you allow Miss Woods to reach out to her sources, you might just get lucky.”
    That was the thing, he couldn’t do that and ensure her safety. “Based on what Lauren saw and heard, I’m thinking these guys are Russian mafia. The trouble is, they aren’t in any of the databases we’ve accessed.” The cops as well as the FBI and other federal and international agencies typically had significant info on the mob types, but nothing along those lines had been mentioned in press releases.
    “They’d have to be powerfully connected for someone to be keeping them off the grid like this.”
    “Have you got a contact you can reach out to?” Mike needed intel. He couldn’t help Lauren without it.
    “One or two. I’ll get back to you.”
    “I’ll be standing by.”
    The call ended and Mike swiveled in the chair. Facing the door, he debated his less than optimal options. Lauren got under his skin in ways he couldn’t quite define. Part of it was her skill as an actress. He’d always been damned good at reading people, but with her not so much. How was he supposed to know what was real and what was just for show when she could turn it off and on instantly?
    She claimed the missing woman was familiar in the same breath she claimed no knowledge of her boyfriend’s illegal activities. The two items just didn’t add up. Claudia had found the individual bank accounts for Trinity and Lauren. The two had conducted their finances completely independent of each other. That allowed for some of Lauren’s ignorance of Trinity’s activities, but certainly not all.
    She’d offered to make him a sandwich hours ago. He’d declined but his appetite was suddenly revving into high gear. He headed for the kitchen, the scents drifting out to meet him making his stomach growl. “Did you get bored?”
    She glanced up from the pot she was stirring. She’d twisted her long blond hair up and out of the way, but little wisps were curling in the fragrant steam rising from whatever she had going on the stove top. “We have to eat.” She shrugged. “There wasn’t any bread for sandwiches.”
    His stomach rumbled again. “What’s on the menu?”
    “Red sauce and pasta.” She made a face. “There wasn’t a lot to choose from. Do you want a beer