Innocence Read Online Free PDF

along with a few more of his choice expressions. The front door slammed; Sharo had returned, and the car squealed away from the curb, leaving the curious crowd behind.
    “Photographers?” she asked, confused. Marcus had curbed his cursing, but his lips were white as if only great control kept him from bursting out profanity. She looked back to the sidewalk flooded with light from the marquis. Sure enough, there were crowds of waiting press, some with microphones, others with cameras.
    Marcus’ lips tightened. He jerked forward and hit the intercom button. “Get Thane on the phone,” he ordered. Cora hoped Thane was a lawyer, and not a thug like most of the men Marcus employed. “I want to know how sidewalk trash knows where I’m going to be.”
    Cora sat silent. She had only seen Marcus like this the night the strange man had knocked on her apartment door. Somehow, even though it had nothing to do with her, this was worse. She dared not speak.
    Suddenly, he turned on her. “Have you ever spoken to them?” he asked, his face so twisted she didn’t recognize him.
    Mutely, she shook her head, but it wasn’t good enough for him.
    “Did any of those rag writers approach you?”
    “Marcus, no,” her voice came out a frightened cry. “I would never talk to them. I didn’t even tell anyone I had a date tonight. You didn’t tell me where we were going—you just said it was some new place.”
    Marcus breathed out hard, through his nostrils. Silently, Sharo drove on through the streets of the city.  In the alternating light and shadow, the planes of Marcus’ cheeks seemed cut from black marble. “Of course you didn’t.” He said finally. “I’m sorry. You’d never betray me.”
    Cora stared at him. Her lips trembled involuntarily, and Marcus cursed at himself. “Baby, I’m sorry.” He slid his arms around her and cupped her head, holding her to his chest. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, a frightened bird.
      Marcus kissed her hair. “I lost my cool. I just wanted to make sure—”
    “Boss.” Sharo’s voice rumbled from the front of the car. Cora felt Marcus’ head rise to meet his second in command’s eyes in the rearview mirror.
    “Go back to the apartment,” Marcus ordered after a pause. “Get her home.” Sharo made the next right turn.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said when they pulled to the curb. He jumped out to open her door himself, as if he couldn’t wait for her to be gone. She went, biting her lip, wondering if she should say anything.
    “I’m sorry,” he made a stiff attempt to salvage the mood. “We’ll try again tomorrow. I’ll get you early from work.”
    “Can it be later?” she asked. “I’m volunteering at the animal rescue tomorrow.”
    If it was possible, Marcus’ face turned a shade darker. “I thought you were going to stop doing that. We decided it wasn’t a good idea for you to be out so late.”
    “I wouldn’t be walking home. You could pick me up there,” she pleaded, hoping he could hear her over his anger. “Please.”
    He stared at her so long she was sure he wasn’t seeing her anymore. Finally he jerked his head: a nod. “Tomorrow night, then. Seven.” He ordered before the car door slammed. “Wait for Sharo; don’t walk home.”
    *
    “Have to get off early tonight,” Cora called to the back.
    “Okay,” the cry came from Maeve, who ran the shelter. “Just start at the end and get as far as you can, cleaning. The bucket is in the closet, sponges and soap by the sink.”
    Cora passed two hours in silence, cleaning cages the animals slept in. It was hard, dirty work. Somehow, though, she felt cleaner after doing it. Scrubbing reminded her of being a child, in a little rancher out west with her mom and step-dad where life was simple and full of honest, hard work. At the age of ten, it had been her job to scrub the floors of the house and the dairy.
    The city is another world compared to home on the farm, she thought. She leaned