Noble Intentions: Season Four Read Online Free PDF

curious."
    Bear took a deep breath, looked down at Mandy and stepped into the hallway.
    "Shit."
    Mandy maneuvered around him. "What?"
    The door sat ajar a half-inch. Dull light knifed through the crack and created a long, narrow finger along the hallway floor. He approached. Stopped.
    Listened. Heard nothing. Bear glanced over his shoulder and spotted a fire extinguisher that looked like it had been in the place since the seventies. The
    instruction tag had turned a lifeless yellow color. He grabbed the extinguisher from the wall and returned to the door.
    "Go wait down the hall, Mandy."
    She shook her head, clutched both hands in front of her chest and inched closer.
    "Go."
    She didn't back down.
    "Dammit, kid. All right, stay behind me. Not kidding, right behind me." He used his foot to nudge the door open further.
    And the apartment was empty.
     

Chapter 5
    New York City.

    THE BLISTERING HEAT and ninety-five percent humidity drove all but the diehards inside by the time mid-day hit. Jack was no exception. He returned to
    his apartment and holed up for the rest of the afternoon. Sleep over the past four weeks had been broken due to recurring images of two women who had been
    a part of his life and were now gone forever. After the first two weeks, he regularly had to make up for the lack of rest during the day. That was the case
    again as he slept through the hottest part of the afternoon and woke around six in the evening. A glance at his phone told him the temperature still
    hovered in the low nineties. At least his east-facing unit provided some shelter from the afternoon rays. All he needed was a solid breeze to keep the
    stifling air moving.
    He glanced out the bedroom window. Long shadows blocked out the crowded city streets below. It'd be three hours before the sunlight gave way to artificial
    illumination. Then the streets would come to life once again.
    Moving to the kitchen, he put on a pot of coffee. Not even the heat could stop him from consuming the drink. The process was tedious but necessary. He'd
    considered purchasing one of those new single-serve machines, but it went against his general philosophy of sticking with what works.
    While waiting for the coffee to brew, he checked his phone for missed calls.
    There was one. He returned it.
    Erin answered on the third double-toned ring and mumbled something into the phone.
    "Sorry to call so late," he said. "I can try again when it's morning in London."
    "I'm still up. Was just about to go to bed, but I can spare a few more minutes."
    "Is Mia OK?"
    "She's fine. Misses you, though. Been asking about you every day."
    "Tell her I miss her."
    "Do you? I mean, do you really? I don't want to build you up to her, only for her to have to tear down this image when you drop off the face of the earth."
    Jack took a deep breath in order to reply civilly. Years ago, before he knew Erin was pregnant, Jack broke off their relationship and disappeared. He'd
    feared for her safety, like he did for everyone close to him. It wasn't until recently that he saw her and discovered he had a child.
    "Erin, what happened seven years ago is in the past. I've changed. My priorities have changed. I'm only over here because I want to make sure that
    everything is behind me. So far, no one has come seeking me out. I care about her. And you. I want to make things right. Even if you and I can't be
    together, the three of us can be a family in some fashion."
    The coffeemaker roared like an approaching squall as the final stream of brew was expelled. Jack poured a cup, the aroma filling his nose, his mouth
    watering. He recalled an early date with Erin, shortly after Dottie had introduced them, at a cafe in Paris.
    "Anyway," he said. "Did you call to fuss me out, or was there something else?"
    "We're leaving on holiday to Tenerife tomorrow."
    "How long will you be out of touch?"
    "Well, a couple weeks I suppose, but I don't want us to be out of touch. I'd like for you to come join us. For a