RaleighPointRescueSue Read Online Free PDF Page B

placed them back on the
pile. Embarrassed, she wasn’t even sure she’d know if one did fit her properly.
    Cassie knocked and put her head around. “Sorry, I should
have asked would you like me to do your hair for you.”
    Lisa’s face flamed as she cautiously looked at the girl staring
back at her from the mirror. Was that really her? That mass of cuts and bruises
and sticking up tangled brown hair despite the conditioner she’d found? Who was
she kidding? She knew she was ugly. They sometimes thought she’d been too
drugged to hear them the nights when the orderlies had checked on her. But she’d
heard them. They’d laughed, said that none of them would ever be that
desperate.
    Feeling the familiar anger rise in her, she clenched her
fists and fought it back down. She mustn’t lose control, ever. Wicked.
    Lisa suddenly went rigid. She had been so busy concentrating
on forcing her anger back down, she had missed Cassie coming up behind her, and
the first touch of the brush on her hair made her gasp. Cassie didn’t seem to
notice. With a soft touch of her hand, she urged Lisa to sit while she murmured
about what a lovely color her hair was, how they could
go for a salon visit next week and get it properly cut, and wouldn’t it be fun
to have a girl’s day to themselves? Then Cassie had chuckled and added
something about having to convince the guys to let them out of their sight.
    Lisa was utterly bewildered. No one had ever spoken to her
like this, and she found herself blinking back tears. Cassie didn’t seem to
notice as she seemed to think Lisa’s hair was dry enough, and they should go
eat before all the guys got everything.
    Cassie held out an arm to link with Lisa. “You
hungry? I’m starved.”
    Lisa, glad that Cassie seemed to realize her legs were still
a bit wobbly, clutched her arm and followed her out.
    Lisa was concentrating too hard to notice any rooms they
walked past as they headed closer to where a loud conversation could be heard.
Cassie opened a big door, and Lisa flinched automatically at the noise. Two
harsh breaths and she was ready to run. Noise beat
down on her. Walls were moving. Shouts echoed inside her like they had in the
hospital. She froze.
    Then magically, he was there. Mac. Bright blue eyes calmed her, and firm hands steered her to a seat.
    “Sorry, I forgot how rowdy they can all be. Just ignore them
all.”
    Riley, she knew, and he brushed his hand across her arm
gently to quiet her the same as it had earlier. She
was quite grateful to be sitting between him and Mac. Riley was laughing with
another big guy. Oh my God, big guy . He was huge.
    The big guy turned, and Lisa gasped. He was holding a baby
and started strapping him in a rocker.
    “There are six of us altogether. My younger brothers are
away at college in Atlanta.” Mac laughed. “Those two over there are the oldest.”
He pointed at the giant. “That’s Riley’s twin Zack. Then there’s the baby of
the family.” Mac grinned at Cassie. “Mom and Dad stopped after that. I think they
were in shock.”
    “You mean they finally had me and realized they couldn’t
ever improve on perfection.” Cassie grabbed a slice of bacon off Zack’s plate
while he was distracted. “Let’s face it; they had to keep trying with you guys.”
    Cassie shrieked as Zack lifted her off her feet and grabbed
the bacon back. Lisa jumped at the noise, and Mac put his arms around her. She
held her breath. No one had noticed. No one was looking at her. Lisa forced her
breaths to be steady. There was nothing to be scared of. Mac held her.
    Words. Someone was speaking.
    “Actually, Lisa, I met you yesterday. I was your taxi
driver, but we never got introduced.” Zack smiled softly and nodded to the baby
in the rocker. “This is my son, Codie.”
    Lisa stared at the baby. He was fast asleep. Gorgeous black
curls framed his face, and he looked chubby in all the right places. Something
sharp jabbed at her stomach, and she put her hands