Protective Custody Read Online Free PDF

blue eyes that saw everything.
    She hadn’t been nearly as welcoming as her seven-year-old brother, Christopher, who’d given her a high five and invited her to his room to see his fish. “I gotta have fish,” he explained. “I’m ’lergic to cats, and I can’t play with the dogs. I have asthma, too. The fish don’t bother my lungs.”
    Asthma. She made a mental note of the fact.
    â€œI thought you guys were watching a movie and stuffing yourselves on popcorn so you could sit down at dinner and say you’re not hungry,” Nick teased.
    Christopher gave a belly laugh. Lindsey had the art of eye rolling down perfect, and she seemed to feel the need to display it at every opportunity.
    Five minutes after meeting Lindsey, Carly discovered her outlook on life consisted of a combination of waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop and roll-your-eyes-at-anything-an-adult-says attitude.
    To make things easier on Carly and Mason, the Jeffersons had moved into the main house with their two dogs.They’d declined the hotel room. The second-floor guest room was a compromise.
    Debbie moved into the room at the end of the hall. She seemed to take everything in stride. “I’ve been in this situation before with Dad.” A hand batted at the air. “It’s usually no big deal. He’s gotten threats before, and nothing happened. So I’m not leaving when the children need me. That would just be one more inconsistency in their lives. And we have protection, right?”
    Carly stared at her. “Are you sure? This could be a tense few days before the trial starts.” Even the fact that a man had been murdered as a message to her boss only caused a minor hesitation in the young woman.
    She bit her lip, eyes darting between Carly and Mason, then back to Nicholas. Her jaw firmed. “No, I’m staying.”
    â€œGreat, more people in this house.” Lindsey rolled her eyes.
    Nick shot her a look. “Watch it, Linds.”
    The girl clenched her jaw and stomped toward the stairs.
    Debbie frowned and went after her.
    Christopher slipped a small hand into Carly’s and looked up at her with a gap-toothed grin. “I’m glad you’re here.”
    She patted his head and knelt down on his level to grin back at him. “I’m glad I’m here, too.” She stood then looked at Nicholas. “It’s my turn to check the grounds.”
    â€œCome on, kiddo.” He motioned for his nephew to transfer his hand from Carly’s to his. “Let’s go see if dinner’s going to be ready soon. I’m starving.”
    After a quiet and tense meal, Debbie retired to her room at the end of the hall. Nick saw the children off to bed, and Carly walked the perimeter of the house one more time,her nerves stretched taut. Right now, she could relate to Lindsey’s waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop mentality.
    It was too quiet. Yet the silence seemed loud. Filled with expectation, anticipation—waiting.
    But for what?
    Nothing good, that was for sure.
    She shivered even as sweat broke out across her forehead.
    The darkness pressed in, although the floodlights illuminated her path. The night smelled of dogwood and honeysuckle. She walked the darkened edge, not wanting to make herself a target should anyone be watching from beyond the fence.
    The two dogs, she’d learned, were retired police K-9s the Jeffersons had adopted after Stella Jefferson’s departure from the force. Carly had made friends with them, then turned them loose.
    Pushing the earpiece deeper into her ear, she said, “All’s clear out here.”
    â€œWe’re settled in here,” Mason’s voice came back to her. “You want first watch?”
    â€œSure. What about the kids? Do they seem all right?”
    â€œYeah. Well, Christopher and I are big buds now. The girl…um…not so much.”
    â€œI noticed that, too. They’ve had so