Awaken to Danger Read Online Free PDF Page A

happened? But she was strong. She could hold on until she
    got in her apartment where she would have a long soggy cry in her bathtub. A man was dead, a man
    she'd cared about enough to date. A man she'd kissed and apparently nothing more, thank heavens, but
    he deserved to be mourned. Even if he'd done something so horrible she'd struck out and killed him.
    Bashed in his skull.
    Bile burned high in her throat. "Pull over."
    "What?"
    "Pull over or you're gonna need your carpet cleaned."
    He whipped the truck across two lanes and onto the shoulder. She jerked her seat belt free and lurched
    from the cab to the swaying reeds and tall marsh grass.
    Thank God he didn't join her while she heaved up her empty guts. If only she could pitch the horror of
    the day into the marsh grass, as well.
    Finally, she straightened again, weaving as she sucked in chilly winter air until the double vision of
    afternoon traffic meshed into a single world again. Turning back, she found Carson leaning against the
    passenger-side door, waiting in case she needed him, but not intruding.
    Emerging sunlight glinted off his blond hair and sunglasses now shielding his eyes, his body every bit as
    tall and strong and appealing as the first time she'd seen him strutting across a tarmac when she'd been
    waiting to welcome her dad home from an overseas tour. She was too tired and heartsore to feel
    attraction, but God, how she yearned to rest her head on that broad chest.
    Instead, she planted her feet into the grassy incline and made her way back up slower than she'd
    descended.
    She stopped beside him. Traffic whooshed past in blasts of wind.
    Carson passed her a handkerchief without speaking. She took the small folded linen from his hand, three
    tiny initials embroidered in the upper corner. She studied the larger "H" with a "C" and "A" on either side.
    Who carried monogrammed handkerchiefs anymore? Apparently Carson. She'd thought he was a friend,
    had even shared a bed with him and didn't even know he carried a handkerchief, much less what the "A"
    stood for.
    Nikki swiped the cloth across her mouth before clutching it in her fist. "Thanks."
    "Are you all right now?"
    "Who would be?"
    "Right answer." His curt nod gave away less than his shielded eyes as he stood in the freezing mist
    without the least shiver. Maybe he seemed so perfect because he wasn't even human. "It'll take the drugs
    a while to wear off."
    She sagged to rest beside him against the truck, drags of the prickly cold clearing her head. "So I didn't
    hurl because I'm an emotional wreck after all?"
    "Over in Rubistan, after your dad and I were rescued, I barely made it to the barracks bathroom before I
    lost the MRE the soldiers gave me."
    She pressed her fingers between her eyes against the ache his image brought. She'd hurt for him then and
    wasn't anywhere near as distant as she wanted to be now. "I appreciate your telling me that, especially
    since it must be difficult for you to talk about that time. My dad still doesn't discuss what happened over
    there very much."
    Carson shrugged it off his broad shoulders as if it were no big deal when they both had to know
    otherwise. "We handle crap like that in different ways. The important thing is that you deal with it."
    "Even if that means hurling in a ditch."
    "Hey, join the trauma-hurling club." The strengthening sun glinted off his smile as brightly as it did his
    golden hair.
    "And you're a badass." A badass who happened to look like an angel who could lead a saint to sin.
    "So are you."
    Ohmigod, everything had been easier when she could keep her distance from him. She could almost
    delude herself into thinking he wasn't as—charming?—no, that wasn't quite right. Carson had seemed
    nice, a flat-out nice guy she'd liked, admired, wanted so much she'd been a blind idiot.
    She really needed to go home fast. "Thanks for the quick reflexes in pulling over. I'm ready to leave
    now."
    "Are you sure you'll be okay alone?"
    "You can't be