Dead Ringers Read Free

understood how it had taken up residence within her. Pain was the ghost that haunted her every waking moment. He wasn’t really capable of empathy, but this?
    â€œSeriously?” Tess whispered. Nick might be her ex-husband, but even at their worst, he’d never given her this cold a shoulder. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
    For the first time, he swiveled his head to meet her gaze, brow knitted in a deep frown. “I’m not sure what your story is, but could you maybe go psycho on somebody else?”
    Tess gave a hollow laugh, hating the way her gut turned to stone. This shouldn’t hurt so much, but it did. Goddamn him, it did.
    â€œNick, come on,” she said. “Why are you—”
    His frown deepened and his mouth twisted in a cynical huff. “I get it now. Nick, is it? Sorry to break it to you, but you need your eyes checked. The name’s Theo. Whoever Nick is, I wish him luck.”
    Tess stared, mouth open in a round little moue of shock. She appraised him again, the chin and jawline, the ears, the cast of his vivid blue eyes, even the pattern of late-day shadow that his razor would have to combat in the morning. Thinner, yes, and maybe the circles under his eyes had vanished and he had a better haircut, but … was it possible?
    â€œWell, damn,” she said quietly. “I think you may have a twin brother you’ve never met.”
    The man who was not Nick Devlin blinked, gave her a small scowl, and then turned to march away from her. The WALK signal had lit and the cluster of end-of-the-workday refugees spilled onto the crosswalk, striding quickly toward wherever their Thursday night would bring them. Tess stood frozen on the curb, the stream of people flowing around her, and stared at the rear of Not-Nick’s head.
    He glanced back at her, and something about that glance made her wince. His expression held a flicker of fear and his eyes hid something, and suddenly she felt like a fool. The son of a bitch had almost pulled one over on her—what an idiot she’d been to buy his spin for even a second.
    â€œYou little shit,” she muttered, tugging out her own cell phone.
    Turning from the street, she began to pace along the sidewalk, anger making her forget the pain in her back. Her foot caught an empty fast-food drink cup and it skittered on ahead of her. The wind picked up, bringing in the cold air off Boston Harbor, and she shivered as she searched her contacts for her ex-husband’s name. The late-afternoon sun had fallen so low that the buildings cast long gray shadows, enveloping much of the city in a premature dusk. Normally she loved the crisp chill of the autumn air, but not today. Not right now.
    She tapped the screen and put the phone to her ear. It rang twice before he picked up.
    â€œHello, Tess,” Nick said, his voice warm but curious. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
    The kindness in his tone only made her angrier.
    â€œYou can be a real prick sometimes,” she said, stuffing her free hand into the pocket of her coat and turning away from a pair of well-dressed women striding past.
    â€œYeah,” he agreed warily. “You said as much when you were divorcing me. What’s this about?”
    Tess looked across the street, searching the pedestrian crowd for him, but he’d either blended in with the herd or turned a corner already.
    â€œWere you trying to be funny, or did you want to make a fool of me?” The phone felt clammy in her hand.
    â€œY’know, I don’t appreciate…” Nick began, but she heard him falter. “No. I’m not gonna fight with you, Tessa. I can hear in your voice how pissed you are right now, but I don’t have the first clue what I’ve done to set you off, so maybe you want to elaborate?”
    She pressed her eyes shut. Felt the chill breeze run up her dress and whip her hair around in front of her face. A shudder went up her back,