Armed and Famous. Jennifer Morey

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СКАЧАТЬ she was doing, and now he was angry. That was why he’d hit her. And Lincoln had seen it. That scared her more than anything. What would Wade do? He knew too much about her. She’d trusted the wrong man. And now Lincoln had gotten involved.

      Sitting on her off-white Broyhill sofa, she turned on the big-screen television. Maddie came into the room, licking her mouth and hopping up onto the sofa beside her, smelling like dog food. Remy loved that.

      The dog curled up beside her and lifted her head to gaze up at her. Talk about a heartbreaker.

      “Oh, yeah, Maddie girl, you’re my dog again. Your new boyfriend isn’t here, and now I’m all you’ve got.”

      Maddie blinked and then slung a paw over her leg.

      Smiling, full of good feelings, Remy draped her arm over the dog and lifted the remote with the other.

      Maddie’s ears perked up and her eyes zeroed in on the front door. Remy’s pulse shot into action. Had the dog heard something? She looked toward the front door and then the kitchen and the back door. No one was there.

      Maddie jumped down from the sofa, hair rising all along her back. She growled.

      Remy stood and headed for the kitchen, where she kept a gun. At the threshold, Wade emerged from the garage, thwarting her with his own gun in hand. Shoulder-length hair, tall and muscular, he had an intimidating presence, a hoodlum presence.

      Had he been waiting in there? How had he gotten in? He must have entered while she’d been at Lincoln’s and hidden in the garage. She’d left the front door unlocked.

      “Put the dog outside,” he said.

      Beside her, Maddie growled again.

      When she didn’t move, Wade aimed the gun at Maddie. Remy smothered a sharp indrawn breath. Frozen, frantically undecided over what to do, she could only stare at the weapon. Should she go for Wade’s gun while it was aimed away from her, or do as he said?

      All her life she’d made sure she took care of herself, that she didn’t have to depend on anyone else. She was master and commander of her present moment and future. A gun aimed at her dog changed that. She was at Wade’s mercy. That went against everything she was. And made her mad.

      “I’ll kill the damn thing,” Wade said.

      She’d do anything to keep her dog safe. In charge again, she went to the back door and slid it open. “Come on, Maddie.”

      The dog glanced at her, and then Wade.

      Wade stepped forward.

      Maddie barked and moved closer to Remy, protecting her. Remy stepped outside, and the dog did, too. Remy was tempted to run.

      Wade appearing at the open door aiming the gun stopped her. Maybe Maddie would go next door or her barking would alert Lincoln.

      She reentered the house and closed the door before Maddie could follow. Her heart wrenched with the sound of frenzied barking.

      “In the living room,” Wade ordered her.

      Afraid Wade would do something about the barking, she did as he said. But as soon as she made it to the living room and faced Wade, Maddie’s barking stopped. She was running next door.

      “You’ve been sneaking around again,” Wade said, stepping close to her with dangerous eyes.

      Had he seen her? When?

      “What were you doing at my store three days ago?” he asked.

      “What are you talking about?” She played ignorance, the same as she’d done the last time he’d come accusing her of spying on him and his friends. That time she’d followed him when he’d met some men she hadn’t recognized. Nothing had been exchanged, but she suspected he’d gone to discuss one of his illegal gun deals, deals that he expected her to execute for him.

      He leaned in to bring his face close to hers, the gun at his side as though he didn’t think he needed it to keep her under control. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. You’re supposed to be working with me, not against me.”

      “If working with you means breaking the law, I’ll pass.”

      With a smirk, Wade straightened. “You’ve already done that. And if you don’t start doing what I tell you, the cops are going to find out.”

      Because he’d tell them. Soon, he wouldn’t be able to threaten her like this. Soon, she’d be able to call the cops herself and have him arrested. But for now, she had to be patient.

      Remy spotted Lincoln at the back door. She’d left it unlocked for him, hoping he’d retrace Maddie’s path. Sure enough, he had. Wade’s back was to him. Careful not to shift her eyes, she used her peripheral vision to watch Lincoln enter.

      “I’m only going to ask you once more,” Wade said.

      Before he could repeat the question, Lincoln put the barrel of his pistol against the back of Wade’s neck. “Put the gun down.”

      While Wade’s face morphed into deep, angry lines, Remy stepped back. He crouched and put the gun on the floor, rising with his hands away from his body, palms up.

      “Step away from it,” Lincoln commanded next.

      With an evil glare at her, Wade did as he was told.

      Remy knelt for the gun as the two men faced each other.

      “Why do you keep harassing Remy?” Lincoln asked.

      When Wade didn’t answer, he searched the man’s pocket until he found a wallet. One-handed, he flipped it open and found a driver’s license. Shaking it free, he let the wallet drop and read the name. Wade Nelson.

      “Is this address current?” he asked.

      “Go to hell.”

      Lincoln studied the license. “Why are you here?”

      “Just let him go,” Remy said.

      “Why don’t you ask her why I’m here?” Wade said.

      “I’m asking you.”

      Remy had a sick feeling that Lincoln was asking Wade because he suspected she was hiding something, and he had a better chance of finding out what that was with him. Remy could only wait and hope Wade didn’t reveal anything.

      “How much do you know about her?” Wade asked.

      Lincoln backed up, still holding his gun. “Why did you come here? What do you want from her?”

      Wade glanced at Remy, smug with the knowledge that he could expose her. She hated him for that. Lording it over her.

      “You’ll have to get that from her,” he finally said.

      He wasn’t going to tell him anything. Remy inwardly sagged with relief. Revealing certain things he knew would do damage to himself, too. If Wade ratted her out now, she’d СКАЧАТЬ