All In (The Blackstone Affair, Part 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

fast. I tried again in a more reasonable tone.
“Brynne, please let me come to where you are.”
    She was crying again. I could hear the soft
sound of her against the fainter sounds of traffic. I did not like
that she was out running alone either. Cars on the street speeding
by her, men looking at her, indigents bothering her for
handouts...
    “What the hell did he tell you, Ethan? What
did my dad say about me?”
    “I don’t want to do this on the
telephone—”
    “Tell. Me.” And then silence.
    I closed my eyes in dread, knowing she
wouldn’t accept anything but the brutal truth, hating like hell to
say it to her, but knowing I had to. How to start? I didn’t know
any other way than by just jumping in feet first. I sent up a
silent prayer to my mum for strength.
    “He told me you and Oakley dated in school.
When you were seventeen Oakley made a sex video without your
knowledge and spread it around. You dropped out of school and had
trouble after that. The senator shipped his son off to Iraq and you
came here to study and start afresh. Now the senator is trying to
win an election as vice president and wants to make sure nobody
ever sees the video…or hears about it. Your dad told me one of
Oakley’s mates has died under an unusual circumstance and he’s
worried people connected to that video may be targeted...including
you. It concerned him enough that he contacted me and asked a
favour—that I look after you and watch for anyone who might
approach you.”
    What I wouldn’t give for a cigarette right
now. The silence on the other end was painful to bear but after a
few interminable beats I heard the welcome sound of her saying
words I wanted to hear. Words I could work with. Something I
understood and could do something about. “That scares me.”
    Relief washed over me hearing that. Not that
she was scared but that she sounded like she needed me. Like she
would let me back in. “I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you,
baby.”
    “I got a weird message on my cell phone two
days ago. A man. From some newspaper. I didn’t know what to do—and
then when I got your letter today I—I read what you said about
calling you if anyone did something to bother me.”
    The feeling of relief vanished instantly.
“Enough of this shit, Brynne! Where are you right now? I’m coming
to get you!” I would have crawled though the fucking mobile if the
laws of physics allowed it. I needed to get to her and that was
all, period. To hell with the bloody yammering, I had to have
Brynne next to me in the flesh where I could put my hands on
her.
    “I’m at the south end of the Waterloo
Bridge.”
    Of course you are . I rolled my eyes.
Just hearing the word Waterloo annoyed me. “I’m leaving now.
Can you get over to Victoria Embankment and wait for me there? I
can find you quickly that way.”
    “Okay. I’ll go to the sphinx.” She sounded
better to me. Less afraid and the feeling did wonders for my stress
level. I was going to get my girl. She might not know that yet, but
it was in fact the reality of what was about to happen.
    “That’ll do. If someone approaches you just
keep to the open spaces where there are people about.” I kept her
on the line as she made her way to Cleopatra’s Needle on foot while
I drove like a fiend and avoided London’s Finest.
    “I’m here,” she said.
    “Are there others around you?”
    “Yes. There’s a walking tour and some
couples and people with their dogs.”
    “Good. I’m parking now. I’ll find you.” We
ended the call.
    My heart pounded in my chest as I found a
place to park and started walking down to the embankment. How would
this go? Would she resist me? I didn’t want to pick at our wounds,
but fuck if I’d let this bloody mess go on for another day. It
ended now. Today. Whatever it took to fix this cock-up got figured
out right here, right now.
    The sun was just starting to set when I
spotted her. Her track shorts hugged her body like a second skin.
She had