Suspicions (The Battling McGuire Boys Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

secrets.”
    “But you don’t know mine, Ava.” And that was the problem. He’d shielded her from that part of his life. Did the very best that he could not to taint her image of him.
    But Ava didn’t know the things he’d done. Ava didn’t know about the dark core inside of him and, for her sake, he hoped that she never did.
    Ava had always looked at him as if he were some kind of hero. He wasn’t. He was about as far from hero material as a man could get. If she knew the things he’d done, Ava would never let him so much as touch her again.
And that’s why she won’t ever know.
    “Go to sleep,” he told her because he had to put some distance between them. He couldn’t be that close to Ava and not feel her sensual pull. “It’s been a long day.” He walked away from her.
    * * *
    A VA STARED AFTER M ARK , narrowing her eyes. He was seriously just walking away? She wanted to scream at the man. Finally,
finally
,
they’d been close. The desire had been burning between them. There had been no barriers. Nothing at all holding them back, and now—
    Now he was pulling away.
    It won’t be that easy, Mark.
    She headed back toward the guest room. Sleep wasn’t going to come for her, not then. Adrenaline spiked her blood, and if she slept—well, she wasn’t in the mood to deal with a second nightmare. No way.
    Ava pushed open the door to her room. It was dark inside. Pitch black.
    Ava hesitated. She’d been sure that she left the lights on when she ran out earlier. The lights had been blazing. She’d dressed as fast as she could and then rushed out after Mark.
    And I didn’t turn the lights off.
    She glanced back over her shoulder. “Mark?”
    It was just like before. Small things. Things that most people would overlook. But after a while, those little things had started to add up.
    Ava pulled in a deep breath. Then her hand slid out, moving along the wall near the door. Her fingers touched the light switch. She flipped it on, fast, and illumination flooded the room.
    The bed sheets were still tangled. Her purse was on the chair in the right corner—just where she’d left it.
    The windows appeared to be closed and still locked.
    She crept forward. Her body was tight with tension and fear. They’d searched the perimeter for the prowler, but maybe they hadn’t found the intruder because he hadn’t been outside. He’d been
inside.
The ranch house had been empty. It would have been the perfect time for the guy to sneak in.
    No, I must be wrong. I left the lights off.
    She bent and searched under the bed. Nothing was there. The closet was empty. She turned toward the bathroom. The door leading to the bathroom was shut, too. Ava tried to remember...
    Did I leave it open or closed?
She inched forward.
    Open?
    Another step.
    Or closed?
    * * *
    D O NOT GO
back to her. Do not.
The chant echoed in Mark’s head, but his body wanted to turn around and go after Ava. She’d just looked so hurt.
    And he’d never wanted to hurt Ava. He wanted to protect her. To keep her safe, always.
    Why did he screw up so much when she was around?
    Snarling, he turned and marched toward his bathroom. The door was partially shut, and he shoved it open. He flipped on the light—
    The glass mirror was shattered. And letters were carved into the wall next to the broken mirror—rough letters that looked as if they’d been made with a shard of that broken glass.
    Stay away from her.
    “Ava!” He roared her name even as he whirled around and ran from the bathroom. The creep hadn’t been outside. He’d been in the house. He’d drawn them out, maybe even set off the alarm deliberately so that he could get access to the home.
“Ava!”
Mark was in the den now and running fast. His heart thundered in his chest. He had to get to Ava, to see her. Had to—
    She ran out of her room. “Mark?” Fear flashed on her face.
    “He was here,” he snarled as he grabbed her shoulders. “Someone was in my home.”
    She shivered before him.