Night Fury: Second Act Read Online Free PDF Page A

brother?”
    Frankie stiffens. Her gaze flickers towards me. “Uh, yeah. We found something.”
    I’m immediately interested. “What is it?”
    Frankie takes another bite of her apple, chewing slowly. Too slowly.
    I glare at her , and then snap, “I know what you’re doing! Just tell me, dammit!”
    She rolls her eyes. “Okay, okay. Relax. The brother recently got out of prison for armed robbery.”
    I knew it! He’s an ex-con junkie asshole. Great.
    Frankie puts a hand up in my direction. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t go jumping the gun. You need to hear the rest.” I nod for her to continue and she does , “Soon as he got out, he fought to get custody of Tomas. The state wouldn’t allow full custody until he took courses in first aid and anger management. They allowed partial custody though. He didn’t show up the first day of the anger management course…” deadbeat, “…so an officer went to their home to find the brother caring for Tomas who was ill with a high temperature. The officer reported that the brother was equal amounts protective and panicked, but through his panic, he calmed himself and did a good job taking care of his brother. He was pardoned from the course, but took the next entry regardless. He completed both courses and has full custody of his brother. Every social services visit he is reported as improving.”
    I can’t believe that.
    If I believe that, it means I was wrong. And I hate being wrong.
    Frankie smiles sadly. “I don’t know what you saw, Cat, but the guy is trying. He’s trying really hard. Until such time that we have anything solid on him, we won’t touch him.”
    I bite the inside of my cheek and sigh, “Yeah, okay. But don’t think for a second that I’m letting this go.”
    Ari chuckles while shaking her head.
    Frankie grins then throws her apple core at me. “Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t that hopeful.”
    I smirk. She knows me too well.

Chapter Six

    The rain pours outside of my window. I should’ve been asleep hours ago, but thoughts of Marco have me wide awake.
    Thoughts of the few nights I slept in Marco’s bed run through my mind. Some part of me wants to believe that it was real, or that even if it wasn’t, those moments that made my stomach flutter were real.
    “I was jealous.”
    My stomach clenches at the fact that I ’d been had. Perhaps the years Bob took, forbid me from Mirage, were in vain. All that extra training, all the late night sparring sessions and psychology lessons… Maybe I haven’t learned a damn thing since James.
    It’s well past midnight. I need sleep. I’m cranky when I don’t get sleep, not to mention, useless. Trying in vain to relax enough to make the transition into slumber, I shift around, get comfortable and bury myself deeper into my cot mattress. I close my eyes, breathe deeply and finally feel my head heavy.
    As soon as I’m about to fall asleep, a loud banging has me jerking upright. Again, the banging continues. I get up out of bed and open the door to my room. Bob strides passed me dressed in only pyjama pants. He carries his robe with him, dressing along the way.
    Frankie exits Bob’s quarters dressed in only a white nightie . Now that she and Bob are basically a thing, she doesn’t spend her nights at Mirage anymore. She stops by my door. “What the fucking fuck?”
    “My thoughts exactly.” I peer over at her. “Let’s check it out.”
    She sighs, “Bob would be pissed.”
    I agree, “Totally.”
    Say yes. Say yes. Say yes.
    She nods, “Let’s go.”
    Yes!
    Frankie loops her arm through mine and we quietly follow the muted noise down to the front entrance of the church. A few feet behind, we stop and listen.
    Bob utters, “I’m sorry. That’s not possible.”
    A man responds, “I need help , man. Where the fuck am I meant to go?”
    Bob sighs, “A clinic. There’s one two towns over.”
    The man’s voice rises, “I got responsibilities! I can’t leave everything behind and take off like