For All to See (Bureau Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

own business.”
    Shoulder length locks framed Jim’s face. Not the slightly greasy roots, the sweated-through T-shirt, nor even the sneer he centered on her detracted from the beautifully sculpted lines of his cover-worthy face.
    Gorgeous or not, muscled or not, hung like a rhino or not, Madelyn couldn’t fathom why her friend would stay with a man who treated her like a possession.
    “You made it my business. The only question is…do you remember what I told you?” Madelyn asked in a voice so low he’d have to strain to hear.
    Nichole grimaced.
    Jim shoved his wife to the side. He threw the bottle on the ground next to his feet. The shards skittered across the floor. One jagged fragment hit her sandal and bounced in the opposite direction.
    His shoulders dropped. Legs the width of old oaks powered forward. All Jim’s mass and drunken rage barreled toward Madelyn.

3
    M adelyn’s eyes opened to the blackness in her bedroom. The harsh snores of her companion rumbled from the other side of the bed.
    Sneaky, sneaky .
    His bed was sufficient enough, but on occasion he took liberties with hers. The hair and dingy smell wasn’t appreciated on her linens, but the comfort of his presence was nice. Instead of evicting him, she gently patted the pillow next to hers.
    Deacon sleepily wiggled his way up to oblige. The weight of his cinderblock head puffed the air out of the pillow.
    “You big smelly lug. How about a bath today?”
    He shuddered a breath and then settled into a rhythm of deep, even breathing.
    “Faker,” she prodded.
    Deacon groaned.
    Over the loud and lulling breathing of her furry friend, the gulls and terns outside her window thrilled and keened, taunting their early morning feast. The smooth stitching of her sheets and cool weight of the comforter invited her to stay a while longer. With a rolling stretch she moved farther into them, not yet ready to welcome the day.
    She reeled.
    Her brain sloshed back and forth. It pinched and tweeted the nerves behind her eyes. Placing a hand on either side of her skull, Madelyn tried to steady her thoughts.
    It was Friday. She struggled to think through the tequila haze. If she could make it through the day, she would have the weekend to recover.
    One drink was her usual check, but she and Nichole had been in rare form last night. They’d whooped it up something big until Jim had shown up and instantly darkened the mood.
    What a bastard.
    Though…seeing him trip over her well-timed evasion and slide across the floor on his face had been the highlight of her night. Second best came watching the bouncers drag his sorry keister out the front door.
    Madelyn grinned, suddenly ready to tackle the day.
    She gingerly sat, which immediately sent Deacon into playful fits. He bounded off the bed and danced. His nails tapped on the wood floor. And though she could only make out his silhouette, it was enough to make her laugh out loud. He wagged so forcefully it towed his behind from side to side, allowing the tip of his tail to whack into each side of his ribs.
    “You can’t talk and still I can hear it— ‘Come on, lazy, get a move on it.’” In submission Madelyn slung the covers back and obeyed.
    She placed both feet on the floor and held the edge of the nightstand, just in case. Her equilibrium withstood the test. Her stomach, on the other hand, was questionable, to say the least.
    Stagnant liquor coated her mouth. She shuffled to the bathroom, scrubbed her teeth, splashed water on her face, and pulled her long hair into a pony tail, all without turning on a light. In the kitchen she slowly ate a banana, and then she sipped some water. Feeling slightly better she dressed in her workout gear. If she could stomach it, she’d grab a better breakfast before work.
    Deacon tap-danced at the front door. When she stepped toward the door he yipped.
    “Sure you’re excited. Because you’re going to win.”
    He barked at that. The vociferous noise bounded back and forth in