Ellie laughed. “Come on, Monarch. You can totally do this.”
Monarch, a blonde-haired woman just under six feet tall, examined the vacuum with disgust. “It’s too loud and I’m afraid it’s going to suck up my toes.”
Ellie lifted her hand to cover her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. “We all think that. Trust me. I promise you, though, if you point it away from you, that won’t happen. You’ve mastered the washing machine and your cooking skills with a microwave are wonderful. You can handle this beast.”
Monarch sighed. “Fine, but it hurts my ears.”
Destiny, a black-haired woman, cheered her on. Monarch flipped on the vacuum and pushed it around the living room carpet without causing injury. Ellie grinned. Whatever the cause, for the past three weeks the women had accepted her. They’d allowed her to talk to them, laugh with them, and teach them household educat
“Shit,” Ellie muttered under her breath, watching the man restrained against the wall inside the next room. Every time she sneaked into the viewing room it depressed her but she couldn’t stay away.She knew he couldn’t see her through the two-way glass and yet he seemed to be looking right at her. Her gaze skimmed over his bare chest and the straining muscles of his well-defined physique. His large biceps bunched while he pulled on the chains, rage evident on his features as he fought them.Sympathy and compassion made her ache for him. His determination showed regardless of how he’d been stripped of his freedom and dignity. He had to know the futility of his actions yet he still struggled. Her hand lifted to touch the wood frame under the glass. She wished she could soothe him by showing him that someone cared. Most of all, she wanted to get him out of the hellish prison that contained him. He deserved to be free.Movement in the c
The inquiries of the Peruvian police would take days. I didn’t have days. My cover was blown. I was screwed if I stayed in this country. I ran them a story that the two characters from Colombia had come into my room with guns and started asking all sorts of questions about the Japanese ambassador, Hector arrived, pushed one out the window and shot the other while taking a mortal wound himself.The story would work if they wanted it to work. They had uncovered an assassination plot and a local boy was the hero.I told them I was registered under the United States Witness Protection Program and now I had to fly the coop on the first flight out. They weren’t down with that at all. But they also didn’t want to mess with the FBI.A signed statement, a videotaped statement, a fake contact address later, and I was all set to go.It was too late to get a reservation now, but I
Gina’s mobile buzzed across her bedside table. She reached out with closed eyes, searching for the phone with her fingers. As she grabbed it, Gracie called out. ‘Nanna. It’s morning, Nanna.’She prised an eye open and accepted the call. ‘Hang on a minute, chicken. What’s up, Jacob?’‘We’ve had an incident, guv. I know it’s your weekend off but it’s a biggie. A young man named Toby Biddle reported an incident just before seven thirty, saying that a woman jumped out of a van on Laurel Lane. Looks like she’s malnourished. Her hair and teeth are in an awful state. Something bad has happened to her by the looks of it as why would she jump out of the back of a van? Officers at the scene checked his car over and concluded that there hadn’t been any impact between the girl and his car. Paramedics are just attending to her at the scene and then heading to Clee
A NEW MONTH, a new year, a new decade. Somehow I had convinced myself that by the first Monday in January of 1970, I would feel better. Everything would be better.Instead, the first Monday had come and gone, and I still had that jangly on-edge feeling, the feeling that I was barely holding myself together, even as the world around me was falling apart.I opened the window in the living room of my small apartment, then stood back. No one saw me. I might have been the only person in the weekday-empty neighborhood. In cold like this, even the street kids went inside.The thin January sunlight barely illuminated the three broken-down cars half-buried in snow. The plows, when they bothered to show up, had gone around them. None of the sidewalks on that side of the street were shoveled either. I always felt a moment of guilt about that, resolving to get my son Jimmy and his friends to shovel the walks, and then never acting o
A NEW MONTH, a new year, a new decade. Somehow I had convinced myself that by the first Monday in January of 1970, I would feel better. Everything would be better.Instead, the first Monday had come and gone, and I still had that jangly on-edge feeling, the feeling that I was barely holding myself together, even as the world around me was falling apart.I opened the window in the living room of my small apartment, then stood back. No one saw me. I might have been the only person in the weekday-empty neighborhood. In cold like this, even the street kids went inside.The thin January sunlight barely illuminated the three broken-down cars half-buried in snow. The plows, when they bothered to show up, had gone around them. None of the sidewalks on that side of the street were shoveled either. I always felt a moment of guilt about that, resolving to get my son Jimmy and his friends to shovel the walks, and then never acting o
Justice North, leader of the NSO, watched Tim Oberto from across his desk. Tim studied him too, a worried expression on his face. Justice felt dread at having to tell Tim the news, not certain how the man would react. Jessie, his mate, walked into the office. Justice frowned at her surprise arrival.Jessie stared at her mate, shrugged and winked. “He’s my old boss. I know him better and I think I should be the one to handle this.”Justice hesitated. Part of him was relieved but the other part worried the male would lose his temper. He noticed the determined look on his mate’s beautiful face though and nodded his consent. No way was he going to tell her no and have her accuse him of not trusting her. He did, with his very life.Jessie licked her lips and her gaze lowered to his mouth. She promised silently that she would show her appreciation of his trust later. Justice relaxed in his chair. His mate could handle the leader of the human ta
Ellie laughed. “Come on, Monarch. You can totally do this.”Monarch, a blonde-haired woman just under six feet tall, examined the vacuum with disgust. “It’s too loud and I’m afraid it’s going to suck up my toes.”Ellie lifted her hand to cover her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. “We all think that. Trust me. I promise you, though, if you point it away from you, that won’t happen. You’ve mastered the washing machine and your cooking skills with a microwave are wonderful. You can handle this beast.”Monarch sighed. “Fine, but it hurts my ears.”Destiny, a black-haired woman, cheered her on. Monarch flipped on the vacuum and pushed it around the living room carpet without causing injury. Ellie grinned. Whatever the cause, for the past three weeks the women had accepted her. They’d allowed her to talk to them, laugh
Becca Oberto glared at her father, resisting the urge to yell. “You what?”Tim shrugged. “I need you to move in with me right now. In less than an hour someone else will be moving into your house. I put clean sheets on your old bed.”“No.” She shook her head vehemently and leaned against her car. He’d just announced he had agreed to allow some man to move into her home but it was hers. “You can’t just order me to live with you or give permission for someone else to take my home. Grandpa left the main house to you and the guesthouse to me. He’s your guy so make him stay in your house.”“That won’t work. He’s, uh, different. He needs his own space, Rebecca.”“So do I. I don’t care how different he is or what the situation may be. He is not getting my home. I love you dearly but I’m twenty-nine years old, a widow and way too old to live with my daddy a