Rastor (Lawton Rastor Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

practically on him now. As I watched with the rest of the crowd, she ripped the phone from Shaggy's hand and hurled it to the pavement. It hit hard and shattered into broken bits.
    "My phone!" Shaggy yelled.
    Jen gave a bark of laughter. "Your phone? Your phone?"
    "Hey, you gave it to me."
    "No. I let you use it," she said, "It's my phone! And what did you promise?"
    "Uh–"
    "You promised to leave it home tonight. But did you?" She turned toward the crowd. "Did he?"
    A few people shook their heads. Someone near the back was still taking pictures, lighting the scene with random flashes.
    Shaggy turned toward the flashing. "Dude, c'mon! Cut that out! Give us some privacy, will ya?"
    I heard a laugh. It was Chloe, laughing against my chest. And just like before, the laughter sounded wrong – sharp and half-crazed. She pulled herself away and stumbled toward the shattered phone, lying a few feet away. She looked down at the thing and choked, out, "It doesn't look okay anymore."
    Shaggy gave her an annoyed look. "What's so damn funny?"
    Chloe was still laughing. "Do you really have to ask?" She turned to the redhead. "Sorry, I know it's not funny. I just–" She looked to the phone. "Oh my God. I so wanted to do that."
    The redhead gave Chloe an odd look. "Weren't you our waitress?"
    A new male voice rang out somewhere behind us. "She's not gonna be anyone's waitress if she doesn't get her butt back to work, pronto."

Chapter 8
    Turns out, the guy was her boss – some pencil-necked twerp with an attitude. He'd been giving Chloe a hard time for five minutes now, and I wasn't liking it.
    My hands were loose, but twitchy at my side. I was aching to hit someone. Whether the guy knew it or not, he was skating on thin ice.
    The only thing that kept me from striding forward to give him a taste of his own medicine was the sure knowledge that Chloe wouldn't like it. So I stood a few feet away, watching him with open hostility until he stopped short when he noticed me standing there.
    His eyes widened. "Hey, aren't you–"
    "Yeah," I said, flicking my head toward Chloe. "Chloe's boyfriend."
    She whirled to face me. "You are not."
    Everyone was looking. I didn't care. If I had to, I'd beg her right here, right now. I reached for her hand. She blinked hard and pulled her hand away. But she didn't leave. That was a start, right?
    Somewhere near my car, I heard Shaggy ask someone, "Hey Dude, can I borrow your phone?"
    "Screw you," the guy said.
    "Aw c'mon," Shaggy said. "Be a sport, will ya?"
    "You touch that phone," the redhead said, "and you're a dead man."
    Shaggy groaned theatrically. "Aw c'mon, Jen!"
    I ignored it all and gave Chloe a pleading look. All I needed was a chance. "Please," I whispered.
    Something in her eyes warmed, and for the briefest moment, I was almost sure I'd get it – another shot at being the guy she deserved.
    But then, her dipshit of a boss cleared his throat, and she turned to look.
    "Chloe," he said through clenched teeth, "might I speak with you a moment?"
    He'd already been speaking to her. And not very nicely either. If he treated her like garbage in front of a crowd, I couldn’t help but wonder – and not in a good way – how he treated her when no one was looking.
    Before Chloe could answer, the guy turned and gave the crowd a long, irritated look. "In private."
    With a heavy sigh, Chloe turned back to me and said, "You should go."
    I shook my head. "Not before we talk."
    "I can't. I've gotta go."
    "Then come by later," I said. "Promise me."
    With a look filled with regret, she shook her head.
    It was that regretful look that made me dig in. I crossed my arms. "Alright." I flicked my gaze to my car. "I'll wait here."
    "You can't wait here," she said. "It might be all night."
    I shrugged. "I don't care."
    She looked around as if weighing her options. Yeah, I was being pushy. I knew that. But I'd make it up to her. I just needed a chance.
    Finally, she said, "Alright, fine. I'll stop by. But it might be