Between Friends Read Online Free PDF Page A

in them. The warmth of his skin against mine caused my heart to pick up speed.
    â€œCome on, you know what I mean.”
    I slid my hands free from his. “You’re good.”
    â€œJust because I don’t live here anymore doesn’t mean I don’t still care about you,” he continued. “You know that right?”
    â€œI know.” I smiled. “I just miss my friend.”
    â€œI miss you too, but I can’t come back here, Idalis.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    He winked. “Because Atlanta’s not big enough for me and your man’s egos.”
    I let out a small laugh. “You make me sick. But you do have a point. Let’s go.”
    He paid the bill and walked me to my car. Both of us moved slowly as we made our way across the parking lot. For the first time I became aware of how humid the air was as it hung over us, weighing me down even more.
    I asked, “Where are you going now?”
    â€œBack to my hotel. You gonna be okay?”
    He got close to me.
    He looked in my eyes, as if trying to read my thoughts.
    Being this close to him after all this time was surreal. Part of me wanted to reach out and touch him, to make sure he was really here. Another part of me wanted to turn and run and act like I’d never seen him.
    I felt like the world was spinning and I was standing still. “Yea, I’ll be fine.”
    I took a step back.
    Put much needed space between us.
    I pulled my keys out of my purse and hit the button on the remote. My car’s lights flashed. “I gotta go, Trip.”
    He hugged me and I inhaled him deeply.
    The hardness of his body, the firmness of his grip.
    I wanted to take him all in.
    Commit everything to memory.
    It wasn’t until I was tucked safely behind the dark tint of my windows that I finally exhaled.

Chapter Three
    Trip
    Tension had a grip on my neck which was making it hard to focus as my loud-talking SAC addressed the packed conference.
    Lenny DeLuca was our special agent in charge. I watched Lenny’s stocky frame as he paced the small floor in front of the conference room. His square jaw and dark Italian features were tucked beneath a black DEA cap.
    At first glance you’d think he was in his mid-forties, even with the salt-and-pepper goatee that he sported. It was hard to believe he was over fifty.
    He’d been DEA for over twenty years and had served a stretch in the U.S. Marines before that. We were told that his no-nonsense attitude was what had propelled him up the ranks. Everyone under his watch respected and trusted him with everything.
    There were about ten agents, from both Atlanta and New Orleans, crammed into the conference room. We were all being briefed on the situation in Atlanta. Phil was next to me, and he was devouring a sandwich he’d gotten from Quiznos. He had the conference room lit up with the smell of steak and onions. I was ready to get out of the room and get some fresh air.
    â€œAtlanta P.D. is ready to cooperate fully with this investigation. They weren’t happy about us stomping around in their backyard, but I did a good enough job at helping them see the big picture,” Lenny informed the group.
    â€œWow, Lenny, you took over their city like that?” a voice yelled out from the back of the room.
    The agents from New Orleans couldn’t help but laugh. Mainly because we knew that whatever Lenny wanted, Lenny got when it came to investigations. He was connected on levels that I had yet to discover. And when he decided that he wanted you to see things his way, that’s exactly what you did.
    He smiled. “Damn right. They wanted help, well they got it.”
    Laughter erupted in the tiny room, mostly from those of us who’d traveled up I-20 and invaded Atlanta’s territory.
    He held up his hand. “Okay, okay, ladies,” Lenny joked. “That’s enough. I think we all have the same goal here. We need to plug this hole that’s