Against the Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

had conned one of the girls in the secretarial pool where Meri worked as a temp into giving it to him.
    "You can’t keep secrets from me.  You should know that by now."
    Her mind spun.  Only a few people had this number.  Her friends knew what Joey was like.  No way had it come from one of them.  "What do you want?"
    "You know what I want, you little bitch.  I want that money old lady Vandermeer left you."
    "I don’t have it, Joey.  It’s all gone.  I tried to tell you that."
    "You’re lying.  You packed up and left so you wouldn’t have to give me my share.  You think I couldn’t figure out where you were headed when you left?  Your friend Pam Haskins was with you the night we met.  Remember?  She said she was moving to Portland.  She wasn’t that hard to find.  Me and Kowalski paid her a visit and we had a little chat."
    Dear God, Joey was in Portland!  And he was with that big bruiser friend of his, the one he called Ski.  "You and Kowalski...you didn’t hurt her?"
    "All I did was slap her around a little.  It’s your fault.  I wouldn’t have had to do it if she’d given me your number the first time I asked."
    She couldn’t think of anything to say.  Her heart was hammering, her palms slick with fear.
    "Where are you, you little bitch?  I spent a fortune in gas driving up here.  I had to sell some of my personal stash to get enough money to make the trip.  I want it back."
    "You...you should have stayed in L.A."
    "Bullshit.  Pam says you changed your mind about Portland, says you’re taking the kid somewhere else.  I want to know where the hell you are."
    Meri hung up the phone.  With shaking hands, she hurriedly pressed Pam’s number, ignored the frantic beeping of Joey calling her back.  Pam picked up on the second ring. 
    "Are you okay?" Meri asked.
    "I’m okay.  That bastard scared the hell out of me, but I’m fine.  I had to give him your number to get him and that big behemoth to leave."
    "Oh, God, Pam, I’m so sorry.  Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?"
    "He slapped me a couple of times.  I hit my head when I fell, but I’m okay.  I didn’t want to give him your number, but--"
    "No, you did the right thing."
    "Don’t come here, Meri.  I told him and that bald creep I didn’t know where you were.  Since it’s the truth, I’m pretty sure he believed me.  But, Meri...Joey’s crazy.  He’s taken too many drugs or something.  He isn’t thinking straight."
    "I just talked to him.  Will you be okay?"
    "I’ll be all right.  I told him if he came back and bothered me again, I’d call the police.  He could tell I meant it.  Besides, it was obvious you weren’t here."
    "I’m changing this number," Meri said.  "Once I have a new one, I’ll call you."
    "Take care of yourself, Meri.  And take care of Lily."  Pam ended the call.
    With trembling hands, Meri turned off the phone so Joey couldn’t call her again, then she sank down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. 
    You’re safe, she told herself, trying to calm her nerves.  Lily’s safe.  Everything’s going to be okay. Joey had called, but there was no way he could find them.  As long as they were in rural Spokane, they were safe. 
    Still, she couldn’t stop shaking.  She gasped when she looked up to see Ian standing in the kitchen doorway, his jaw set, his face as dark as a thundercloud.  She wondered how much he had overheard.
    "What’s wrong?" he asked.
    Meri forced herself to smile.  "I...ah...saw a mouse.  Silly, I know, but those things really scare me.  Sorry."
    Ian didn’t look convinced.  "You’re shaking.  Are you sure that’s all it was?  If something’s wrong, you can tell me, Meri.  You can trust me to help you."
    She took a steadying breath, managed to control her voice.  "I was talking to one of my girlfriends.  The mouse caught me a little off guard.  I’m fine."
    Ian’s eyes remained on her face a few seconds longer, then he grabbed something in the mudroom