Fall Into You Read Online Free PDF Page B

accident, I thought…”
    She frowned, some of the fight draining out of her. Max had taken it the hardest when
     her dad had died, and she knew he’d taken it upon himself to be the leader of their
     family now, the protector. The look in his eyes said his fear for her was real. But
     she also knew Max would storm in and take over if she gave him the smallest of openings.
     “I’m sorry I worried you. That wasn’t my intention, but everything is under control.
     Really. The police are on it.”
    “Yeah, a report will be filed. They’re not going to do anything to protect you in
     the meantime.” He raked his fingers through hair that matched her own, his expression
     torn. He looked toward her house. “I know you think you’re on the trail of some big
     story, Char. But apparently you’re poking some dangerous lions. It’s not worth it.
     I don’t want you around it. I need you to come home with me until whatever this is
     blows over.”
    She looked at him as if horns had grown out of that ginger head. “The hell I am. I
     have a job. I’m working on getting a promotion. I can’t just whisk away to Baton Rouge.
     And if I drop a story because someone tries to scare me, they win. Screw that.”
    “Someone tried to
run you off the road
, Char. This isn’t about pride or work. You could’ve been fucking killed.”
    The thought made her shudder, but there was no way she could walk away from everything.
     She’d worked too hard to get to this point. “I can’t leave.”
    “Char—”
    “She can stay with me,” a deep voice interrupted.
    Both she and her brother turned to look at Grant, the unexpected statement silencing
     their argument.
    “Do what?” She must’ve heard him wrong.
    Grant tipped his hat up a bit. “You can stay in the cabin you were in last night.
     You’ll be safe there. And when you’re not on-site, you can check in with me by phone
     so that someone always knows where you are. You’ll have a bit of a drive into work
     for a while, but at least you won’t have to take time off.”
    “That’s a great idea. Thanks, man,” Max said, smiling and thumping Grant on the back.
     “Grant has top-notch security at his place. You’ll be protected there.”
    Charli stared at Grant. He was serious? He didn’t know her from a woman on the street,
     but he was going to give her a place to stay and play bodyguard. Just to be helpful?
     No, she corrected herself. This wasn’t about being helpful. This was about debt. Max
     had saved Grant’s life, and now there was an opportunity to pay him back. She was
     a transaction. Just like the time Max bribed his friend to ask her to the prom so
     she wouldn’t be without a date. Then said friend had proceeded to tell everyone he
     was there with her as a favor. Total humiliation. Served up hot. “I appreciate the
     offer, but no, thank you,” she said, smiling with forced politeness.
    Max frowned. “Well, then I’ll call in the last of my vacationtime and move in with you for the next two weeks. I can keep watch until we get all
     your window locks replaced and install a high-tech alarm.”
    Oh, hell no
. She loved her brother to pieces, but sharing her tiny place with him twenty-four-seven
     while she was trying to investigate her story would be a nightmare. She’d never be
     able to get away without him wanting to know where she was, who she was with, and
     what she was doing. Her brothers had always been protective, but since her father
     had died, Max had made it his personal mission to be the most annoyingly overbearing
     parental substitute ever. Two weeks of that and she’d be signing herself into the
     loony bin. Or jail—for choking her dear brother.
    “I’ll stay with Grant.” At least there she could be alone in her own cabin without
     a babysitter. And though Grant had been the one to offer, he looked about as excited
     at the prospect as she did, so he probably wouldn’t bother her much.
    Max gave a triumphant smile and