Rebelonging (Unbelonging, Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

cartoon
character.
    "Poor kid," Shaggy said, looking down at his
phone. The digital notepad was gone, and I saw stills of the video
footage. His fingers flew across the tiny screen. Suddenly, he did
a double-take. "Holy shit," he said. "Is that who I think it
is?"
    Oh crap. This wasn't good. I clamped my lips
together to keep from groaning.
    "Check it out." Shaggy thrust the phone in my
face. "Lawton Rastor. Am I right?"
    Reluctantly, I studied the video still. And
there he was, the man of my nightmares, the man of my dreams. He
stood a few paces behind the car, his hands thrust into the front
pockets of his dark hoodie. His gaze bored straight into the
camera.
    At me.
    How on Earth had I missed that? But I knew
exactly how. When I'd hit the play button, I'd been focused on that
car.
    Oh shit. The car.
    That thing was definitely the same car my
attackers had been driving. It had to be.
    Had Lawton dropped it off? And if so, why
here? Why now?
    In front of me, Shaggy was licking his lips.
"Oh yeah. It's totally him."
    I shook my head. "I don't think so."
    "Goes to show what you know." He
straightened. "I'm a professional. And I'm tellin' ya, it's him."
He grinned. "And you know what I say to that?"
    Hell, I didn't even know what I'd say
to that. I shook my head.
    "Cha-ching!" Shaggy slapped me on the back,
buddy style. "You know what, Betty? Tonight's your lucky night.
Because this little video's gonna make my rent."
    My stomach was churning. "Yeah. That's me.
Lucky."
    He grinned. "So, are you ready to take some
more?"
    "Hell no," I said. "I'm not gonna make that mistake twice."
    "Oh c'mon, Betty," he said. "Don't be that
way." He pulled out his puppy dog face and turned it on
full-force.
    Some puppy. I felt like swatting him with a
rolled up newspaper. "No way," I said.
    Not eager to be hoisted again, I turned and
plunged into the crowd, no longer caring whether there was room or
not.
    Whatever was going on, it involved Lawton,
and it involved me. And, if my hunch was correct, it involved two
guys in ski masks who'd attacked me not that awful long ago.
    Squeezing between the closely packed bodies,
I jostled my way forward, ignoring muttered curses and grunts of
disapproval. At least no one threatened to kick my ass. Well, not
that I noticed anyway.
    Finally, I stood near the front of the crowd.
I looked to the spot where Lawton had been standing.
    He was gone.

Chapter 9
    I scanned the scene in front of me, trying to
make sense of it. The police cruiser was parked on the opposite
side of the dark sedan. The lights were still flashing, giving the
faces in the crowd an odd, disjointed appearance as people craned
their necks for a closer look.
    Two uniformed police officers stood behind
the defaced car. They studied the trunk with expressions that I
could only describe as perplexed.
    I turned to the guy next to me, a lanky guy
in a black wool coat. "What's going on?" I asked.
    "Not sure," he said. "Every time I try to get
close, the cops tell me to back off."
    I glanced at the car. Something near the rear
was thumping. The thumping sounded familiar.
    "Sweet!" said a voice behind me. "Something's
in the trunk. I'm betting it's mobsters. It's always mobsters."
    Damn it. I recognized that voice. I turned
around, and there he was. Shaggy. He was holding out his phone
again, capturing whatever was in front of him.
    "What the hell are you doing here?" I
said.
    "Hey, you paved the way," he said. "I just
followed in your wake." He grinned. "Nice job with the elbows, by
the way. I could learn a thing or two from you."
    Suddenly, my fondest wish was for the guy to
be gone. "What about your girlfriend?" I said, thinking of the
redhead. "Are you ever going back inside? That's a hint, by
the way."
    "Yeah? Well what about my waitress?" he said.
"Is she ever going back inside?"
    "Oh shut up," I said. "I'm not your waitress
anymore. They sent me home."
    He shrugged. "That's the breaks, Betty."
    With a sigh of irritation, I turned around to
face