ESCAPE: A Stepbrother Romance (These Wicked Games Book 2) Read Free

now?” I ask, looking at the man in the driver’s seat.
    Cade glances at him. “Yeah.”
    One of the attorneys gets in the front seat, the other goes off and disappears into the crowd, and we begin moving with the aid of what looks like a cop stopping traffic so we can pull out.
    “That was nice of him,” I say, twisting in my seat.
    “Influence has its benefits.” He touches my shoulder, and I look at him. “What happened?”
    “There was a cop. She chased me.”
    Cade clenches his jaw. “Did she do that to you?”
    I wipe at my nose, which still isn’t bleeding, and which doesn’t feel broken. Thankfully. Some crusted blood flakes off. “No. I tripped.”
    “Go on.”
    “I was rushing to catch the plane you were— I thought you were on, but I missed it. Then this cop appeared and said she’d take me home. I got her to leave me alone for a moment and then took off. And she chased me.”
    Cade looks to the passenger’s seat. “What was the officer’s name?”
    The attorney doesn’t respond.
    “Mike!”
    ‘Mike,’ jumps.
    “What?”
    “What was her name?”
    “Who?”
    “Weren’t you listening?”
    “I try not to, sir.”
    “The cop.”
    “Emily Dickinson, according to her nameplate.”
    “Not her. The other one.”
    Mike shakes his head. “Only woman on duty right now.” He looks at me. “That’s who you must have seen.”
    “Thought you weren’t listening?”
    Mike faces forward again.
    “It wasn’t Emily,” I say to Cade. “I think she knew my mom.”
    Cade’s eyes soften. “Your mom?”
    I grunt and shake my head. “Fuck, I’m really out of it. Your mom. Cynthia.”
    Cade frowns. “Why do you think she knew her?”
    “I don’t know. I just got that impression.”
    “Did she say anything?”
    “Yeah. I think so. Like, ‘Your mom is waiting,’ or something. Oh! No, she said your mom will pick you up.” I speed up, getting excited as I remember. “And she said she didn’t want to get in trouble, because she was off her path.”
    “Path?”
    “Or whatever. A cop’s thing. A beat.”
    “Mike, do the sheriffs patrol here?” He looks at me. “Was it the sheriff?”
    I shrug. Not like I’ve had many run-ins with the cops. I hardly even drive anywhere. And my car would fall apart if I sped.
    “I can check. I don’t believe so,” Mike says, not looking back at us.
    “That’s suspicious,” Cade says. “What did she look like?” he asks me.
    “Tallish. I think. It’s hard to tell. At my height, everyone looks tall.”
    “Did you get her name?”
    I shake my head.
    “What color was her hair?”
    “Brown or black.” I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to remember her face. It’s surprisingly blank in my mind. “That’s all I can remember. I wasn’t really looking at her. I was trying to catch the plane, and then when I saw it was gone, I was trying to stop my nose from bleeding, and then I was trying to get away from her. Not much reason to study her face.”
    “What about the uniform color?”
    “Beige?” I shrug.
    “Sheriffs then.”
    “I guess.” Then I remember. “Oh! Her name. Not her first name. But her last was Burns, or Burn something.”
    “Burton?”
    I nod. “Maybe.”
    “Fuck.”
    “What?”
    “I know who it is.” He shakes his head, his jaw clenched. “That fucker.”
    “You know her?”
    “No. Yes. I mean my mother.” He glances at me. “She’s…” he trails off, and averts his eyes.
    “What is it?”
    Cade shakes his head. “Cynthia knows her.”
    “How?”
    Cade doesn’t answer.
    “Cade! Tell me.”
    Instead of answering, he gives the driver an address.
    “Where are we going?”
    “A friend.”
    “I thought we were leaving.”
    Mike the attorney turns around in his seat. “Not the best idea right now with what just happened. Stay out of LAX for the time being.”
    “But I didn’t do anything! They can’t ban me.”
    “Oh, I don’t mean you’re banned. Not that I know of. Just that Mr Dorn wouldn’t want the