Found Wanting Read Online Free PDF Page B

calling."
    Lowering the cellphone, Rachel turned. "People at work are worried about you," she said, her smile strained.
    Alaina shrugged, knowing the gesture was far too casual, considering the conversation they'd been having. But she didn't know how else to behave now that she was moments away from betraying her best friend. "I'm fine. Don't I look fine?"
    "Actually, you look like hell."
    "Hey, I'd like to see you look this good after being hit by a car."
    Rachel laughed softly, her eyes searching Alaina's. "You'd tell me if you were in some kind of trouble, wouldn't you?"
    Alaina sank down onto the stool. Everything ached. Her body. Her heart. Her soul. She hated her life, hated being afraid, suspicious. And it would never end. Never. She clamped her jaw against the emotion that tightened her throat. "I panicked," she said. "I can't explain it." Glancing up, she tried to look contrite. "You win, okay? I'll stay here while you go get Jonah. I'll probably be ready to go by the time you get back."
    Rachel scooped her purse off the floor. "No problem. I'm sorry I didn't go before, like you asked."
    "I understand, Ray. I do." Just go, Rachel. Go.
    "It'll take me about forty minutes to get to Grant's and back," Rachel said. "Do you want me to call once I've got him?"
    Alaina let her shoulders drop, as if in relief. "That'd be excellent. Thanks."
    Rachel gave her a quick, gentle hug. "Don't freak out anymore, okay? You were scaring the crap out of me."
    "Sorry."
    "I'll be back in a jiff."
    As soon as Rachel was gone, Alaina ducked out of the room and edged around the nurse's station. She needed clothes, a jacket, ... something to replace the gown, which would draw attention. Luckily, there was so much activity in the ER that no one paid attention to her.
    Finding a cabinet that held fresh scrubs for the nurses and doctors, she snagged a pair, along with some of those booties that surgeons wore. Back in the room, she doffed the gown as quickly as her throbbing shoulder and ribs would allow and slipped into the pale green scrubs. Afterward, she rested, bracing her hand on the gurney as her head grew light and took a lazy spin. Hang on. Jonah needs you to hang on.
    Feeling relatively disguised and about as steady as she figured she was going to get under the circumstances, she strolled as casually as possible into the ER waiting room. A bank of pay phones occupied a section of wall adjacent to the ER's automatic sliding glass doors. She took up position at one of the phones, where she could watch people come and go without being noticed herself. With a phone pressed to her ear, she waited only about a minute before Rachel hurried into the ER, looking stressed. She didn't even glance in Alaina's direction.
    As soon as Rachel was out of sight, Alaina exited through the same doors, Rachel's keys dangling from her fingers. The cold wind struck her body a soft blow -- obviously, the forecasted cold front had arrived. She ducked her head against the steady rain, walking as fast as she could, every step sending jarring pain through her shoulder and side.
    She found Rachel's silver Toyota RAV4 without trouble and told herself she had no choice as she climbed in. Her hands shaking as if she had Parkinson's, she turned the key to start the small SUV.
    Protecting Jonah from his father took precedence over everything and everyone. She'd made that promise to herself long ago, and she would never break it.
    She would die first.
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
    Mitch stepped out of his car and approached the Maxwells' front door, which stood open, the lights inside casting buttery light on the walls. Darkness had fallen early and quickly, thanks to the relentless rain that still fell. Hunching his shoulders against the cold, Mitch strode onto the porch like he belonged there and peered inside.
    Overturned furniture and a large bloodstain on beige carpet told of a violent encounter in the living room. One man was busily collecting evidence while