Monroe, Melody S. - Verdict (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF

She slammed the handset back in its holder and swung around.
    “Phone doesn’t work?” Stone cocked his brow.
    “Apparently not.”
    “We can’t do anything that would allow anyone to find us or learn you’re alive.”
    “Funny. Peter Caravello found you pretty easily.”
    He shrugged. “He has my number.” No apology, just a cold, hard statement.
    “And now you’re going to lead him right to me.” Susan blew out a breath as fear drilled in her temple.
    He straightened. She didn’t know anything about Stone, but she did have a lot of experience dealing with criminals who looked good enough to con the habit off a nun. She doubted Stone was the exception.
    If her dad had known he was a target, what would he have done?
    Run .
    Her gaze shot to the door, but Stone’s large muscular frame blocked her escape route.
    Instead of attempting to leave right now, she swiveled back towards the stairs, took a few steps and faced him again. “Do you give your number to all the criminals?” She kept her tone even.
    His expression remained unreadable. “Only four people have my cell. My boss, Richard Thomason, a college friend who works at the Bureau and Peter.”
    She appreciated his honesty, but clearly he was hiding some vital piece of information. She stepped toward him. “I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
    He cocked a brow. “Peter is not a threat to you. Let’s leave it at that.”
    She turned her mind back to the courtroom, trying to recall who had come to support the mob boss. John Caravello had a younger brother and two sons. If she wanted to be fair, one of them could be guilty.
    “What reason did he give for calling you ? Aren’t you the enemy, so to speak? The FBI testimony was what got his father executed.” He’d never answered her question about whether or not they were good friends, though the fact Stone reserved a space on his cell for Peter’s number spoke volumes.
    He lowered his arms to his side, palms up. “Peter and I grew up together. During college, I worked at his firm, helping him with inventory, sales and some of the financials. The man is the most honest businessperson I know.”
    She digested the facts. “Peter Caravello might be a Better Business Bureau star, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a good person.”
    Stone ran a hand down his jaw. “Fine. I was no more than ten, Peter closer to fifteen when his uncle gave us both black Labs one Christmas. We decided it would be cool to check out the Maryland coast during a violent storm the following September. Dumb. But kids aren’t the smartest animals. Dunchy, my dog, ran into the water and a wave washed over him. He couldn’t get back to the shore with the intense wind, so I jumped in after him.”
    “And Peter let you?” She’d been on the sea a number of times during a storm and understood how treacherous the winds could be. While fifteen wasn’t old, Peter should have watched out for the younger Stone.
    “Peter shouted after me, but I wouldn’t listen. When I went under, he dove in and saved both me and Dunchy.”
    “Okay, he was a hero that day, but teenagers can go from good to bad in a heartbeat, especially with a father in the mob.”
    “I’ve got plenty more incidents that illustrate Peter’s integrity if you still need convincing.”
    “I didn’t get where I am by buying into testimonials. A lot could have happened in the remaining years to throw Peter off the path to righteousness.”
    She admitted Stone could be right about his childhood friend, but could she afford to put her life on the line if he wasn’t?
    He stepped toward her, and she edged backwards, her feet bumping the bottom stair step. He might be an FBI agent, and really good looking to boot, but his allegiance seemed to have swung toward the Caravello family. “I’m tired. I’ll be in my room.” Away from you.
    With as much poise as she could muster, she climbed the stairs and winced as the stitches pulled in her