Deathwatch Read Online Free PDF Page B

one woman, farm animal masks. The woman drives the tractor.”
    Murph rubbed a hand over his face as he tried to picture all that. A farm-themed robbery. He looked at Bing. “Honestly? That almost sounds good. I missed this.”
    The everyday, crazy quirkiness of police work was so blessedly normal compared to what his life had been overseas, leading good men deep into enemy territory to ferret out insurgents—no backup, no quick way out, staring death in the face every day and hoping you wouldn’t blink.
    Bing backed toward his cruiser. “You’re welcome to jump right back into the fray. I’m glad you’re home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Get some rest.” With a nod, he got into his car then drove away.
    Murph looked after him, sympathy filling his chest.
    Stacy’s dead.
    His brain was too tired to fully comprehend it. Killed. The senselessness of the tragedy pissed him off, made him want to punch something. Bing looked like hell. No wonder. And Murph wasn’t coming back to work to help, not for a long time. He already hated the conversation they were going to have to have about that.  
    He hated to feel useless, dammit. He wanted to help Bing. He had to find a way to pass the physical as soon as possible.
    He headed inside, needing to deal with other things first. What were the chances that his pinup girl tenant would be reasonable, take a refund check on the rent and leave him in peace, just pack up right now and go to a hotel?
    Probably none. With looks like that, she was probably used to getting whatever she wanted.
    Ready to introduce her to disappointment, he opened the door, but he caught movement from the corner of his eye, a dark sedan pulling away from the curb down the street.
    He paused, his senses sharpening.
    Nobody had walked up to that car while he’d been outside. Which meant whoever was driving it slowly in the opposite direction now, had been sitting behind the wheel all this time. In the middle of a cold, winter night. Why?
    He didn’t like how that happened, where the car had sat without headlights. The hesitant way it was moving away pricked his instincts honed on searching for IEDs. You saw a certain type of car, a certain time of the day, in a certain spot, and you learned that bad shit followed.
    People getting blown to bits.
    For a second he saw the blood and heard the screams, and he had to clench his jaw till it hurt to make the images stop. The car didn’t mean anything. Not here. He was back home in Broslin, not in Afghanistan.
    He needed to focus on the problems that faced him right here right now, namely the redhead who’d somehow come between him and his bed.
    He tapped the snow off his boots.
    Frankly, given the choice, he’d rather that she went to bed with him. As tired as his mind and body were, one part of him seemed to have gotten energized by the sight of her scantily clothed body.  
    If he wasn’t so exhausted, he would have laughed at himself. He was no better than a sailor on shore leave. The faster he got rid of the temptation she presented the better. He was definitely putting some clothes on her before they started negotiating the terms of her lease.
    He drew a deep breath, stepped inside and locked the door behind him.
     
     

 
     
    Chapter Three
     
     
    Kate watched warily from behind the kitchen island as Murph Dolan walked through the living room, looking around as if cataloguing the place. Did he think she’d steal something? She stiffened.
    He was a soldier used to being in command. He was probably used to having the upper hand in any given situation. Step one was to firmly establish the fact that she was staying. “I can drop you off at a hotel, if you’d like.”
    His lips flattened. “I’m not going to a hotel.”
    “ Well, I’m not going to a hotel either.” These days, every place required I.D., and she wasn’t sure hers would stand up to close inspection. Plus, the plain truth was, she didn’t have the kind of cash she would need to live