Tell Me No Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

oblivious to anything but his own agenda. "Make time. Talk to her. She listens to you."
    "Only because she knows I'm a disinterested party."
    "What is that supposed to mean? Are you implying I have some sort of backdoor deal in the works?" Fury flashed in Ben's eyes. "This has nothing to do with me. It's for her, for the kids, even for you, dammit"
    "Right And as mayor, development has always been your top priority, not widows and orphans."
    Ben's voice tightened with anger. "You think I'm going to get some kind of political windfall from selling Apple House?"
    "You always said you wanted to go to Washington."
    Ben looked as if he'd been slugged, and Hank started to retract what he'd said Christ he had a big, stupid mouth, and Ben brought out the worst in him but his bromer leaned in, his voice low and full of venom. "And you always said you weren't a quitter."
    Hank felt the blood drain from his face. "We're not talking about me."
    "Oh, yes we are. Quitting your job, your life. Taking the safe road and crawling back to Momma."
    Shame grabbed Hank's gut and twisted into rage. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about"
    "I'm talking about you, little brother. And the way Tom Stiller left you one of the walking dead. Christ, he might as well have killed you, too."
    The words struck deeper than Hank cared to admit, and to deflect their truth he balled his hands into fists. But before he could use them, a commotion went off over his shoulder. Raised voices. Shouts.
    Drunken shouts.
    In an instant Hank was back outside his brother-in-law's toolshed, the afternoon sun beating down on him like a search light His sister and her husband were barricaded inside, and he could hear Tom's out-of-control drunken raving as he smashed anything he could lay his hands on.
    In the next instant Hank was back at the party. It was evening. Smoke and talk swirled around him and he found himself moving toward the sound of the argument.
    ***
    Alex turned in horror as the angry sounds of dispute reached her.
    "Russia is the greatest country on the earth!" a male voice insisted loudly in Russian, the words an angry slur. "Always we will be the greatest country. We don' need America's help." She turned to see one of Miki's entourage red-faced with fury and leaning drunkenly into the governor's aide. "Fucking asshole," he said clearly in English.
    Alex scanned the crowd. Heads were turning, reporters and photographers swiveling to see who was making a scene. The drunk raised his fists and a flush of horror raced through her as headlines appeared in her imagination.
    "Mikail," she said sharply to her companion. "Who is that?"
    "Yuri," Miki growled, then muttered a curse in Russian.
    "Get rid of him."
    He looked around, as though searching for someone else to handle the situation. "I can't get involved. Not in front of the media."
    His gaze caught Jeff Greer's, the State Department's liaison, who scuttled over to Yuri and put a calming hand on his shoulder. The drunk jerked the arm away, then bent over Greer in such a threatening way that the smaller man almost tipped backward.
    Damn him. She dropped Miki's arm and hurried toward the commotion, hoping to pacify the man herself, but she'd gone only a few steps when someone else appeared next to the drunk.
    The cop from earlier in the day, the one who'd told her about Luka. He'd said he wasn't on the security detail; what was he doing back here?
    As if watching a scene play out on a movie screen, she saw the policeman what was his name? lean over and say something to Yuri. Yuri turned his attention to the cop, staggering as he shifted position. With a snarl, he said something she couldn't hear, and the cop Bonner, that was it, Detective Bonner put a hand on Yuri's neck.
    And like that, Yuri was cowed. Cooperative. His hand still in place, Detective Bonner led Yuri through the crowd and out the door. The whole thing was over in seconds. Reporters returned to interviewing the governor, waiters resumed