Death at First Sight (Spero Heights Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

“What’s it look like, smartass? I didn’t figure you’d be thrilled about this move, but I can’t have you pulling any stunts. If you behave yourself, we can talk about taking it off here in a few months. It’s state-of-the-art, so you can shower with it and everything,” he said, as if that would cheer her up. He dug something out of his pants pocket and tossed it on the couch beside her.
    Lia picked up the device with a frown. “Is this a phone?” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen one, but she was sure it was supposed to have numbered buttons.
    “Mmhmm.” Saunders folded his arms. “It’s locked, so you can’t call out. But I can call you.”
    “Are we that good of friends now?” It suddenly occurred to Lia that they’d only had one conversation that had lasted longer than this one. That was before she’d known what an asshat he was.
    You see the bad guys, tell me all about it, and I’ll go out and catch them. He’d baby-talked her back then. Before she’d tried to make a run for it. In return, I’ll let you live here for free and bring you food, and I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.
    Her face had been on the evening news that night, painting her as a dangerous asylum escapee who had killed a doctor. Of course, they left off the part about how the doctor had tried to kill her first.
    Lia dropped the phone to the couch so she could clutch her head again. “Why do you need to call me? The visions only come in the morning. There won’t be a round two in the afternoon, no matter how many people croak out there.”
    Saunders stepped back into the kitchen and emptied the bottle of pills in his hand. Then he fetched a glass off a shelf and filled it with water from the tap before returning. “Take the pills. This attitude of yours is rubbing me wrong. Tomorrow’s my first day on the job, and I don’t want us starting off on the wrong foot.”
    When he stopped in front of the couch, Lia found herself eye-level with the pistol at his hip. It was no accident. Saunders knew how to intimidate her without saying a word. She took the pills and tossed them in her mouth before grabbing the glass of water from him.
    He waited for her to hand the glass back before he went on. “I’ll have to work my way up the food chain here. The hours are going to be long at first, and I won’t have time to visit you every day.”
    Lia’s chest tightened. As much as she hated Saunders, he was the only person she’d had contact with for the past ten years. She couldn’t decide which she hated more—the idea of seeing him every day, or the idea of seeing no one at all. Then a second thought worked its way to the top.
    “How am I supposed to get my pills?” she choked out.
    Saunders clicked his tongue. “Just who do you think you’re talking to? I got you covered, girly.”
    He took a few steps back, toward the mouth of a narrow hallway, and opened a linen closet door. Three small safes were stacked across the top shelf. “Got these puppies on sale when the old roach motel on the strip went out of business. So when I call in the morning, after you give me your nightmare rundown, I’ll give you a code for one so you can get your daily meds.” Saunders still referred to her visions as nightmares. Lia had stopped correcting him. It wasn’t worth the effort.
    Her shoulders shook in a violent shiver and her eyes felt heavy. The drugs were kicking in, dulling the alarms ringing in her head. “I might not be able to pull myself off the floor in the morning, let alone answer your weird, button-less phone or open a safe. You have no idea how badly you’ve screwed me with this move,” she slurred.
    Saunders gave her a cruel grin. “Oh, you’ll answer when I call. And you’ll tell me what I want to know, or I’ll let you rot in here.” He glanced around the apartment. “I bought this building. Got it cheap, since it’s in a rough neighborhood and they had to evacuate it a few months back due to