Made for You Read Free

up. Then the unknown suspect shot you while Taynor shot the victim and escaped with the girl. There was nothing either of us could have done without the chance that Taynor would hurt the girl. You know that’s what happened.”
    Kelley stared at Reese. “But if I hadn’t passed out,” she said again, this time finishing what she’d tried to say earlier, “Laura would be alive and Belle would still be here.”
    His mouth tightened. “This isn’t the time to do what you might consider to be the noble thing. Just keep to the story and you’ll go to the hospital and take time off. That’s all you need to do.” When she didn’t answer he narrowed his eyes. His voice was almost harsh as he said, “Understand, Petrova?”
    Feeling mute, she nodded as she heard John McBride’s voice coming from the front door.
    “Taynor’s long gone,” Reese called out. “We’ve got a body in here.”
    Referring to Laura Jones as a body caused bile to rise up in Kelley’s throat. She’d seen plenty of dead bodies in her career, but this one was far worse. She’d been responsible. She swallowed. If she hadn’t passed out, Laura would still be alive.
    Kelley bowed her head. Just like her mother would still be alive if Kelley had been there for her.
    In the next moment, paramedics were attending to Kelley. She remained mute, pain gripping her as Reese ran through his version of what had happened. She felt weaker and weaker, and it really pissed her off.
    An Amber Alert had been issued and locally everyone and their mother had received the alert on their cell phones and it had already been broadcast on radio and television. The alert included the make and model of the truck, Taynor’s name, age, and appearance as well as the missing child’s, and that a second suspect had been seen but remained unidentified.
    When John turned away to speak with other officers on the scene, Reese knelt beside Kelley again and looked into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
    She swallowed. “I’ll be fine.”
    As the paramedics prepared to put Kelley on the gurney, Reese brushed hair from her face. “I’m going to go with you to the hospital.”
    Despite the pain in her arm and the spinning in her head, she didn’t want to go to the hospital. She wanted to do something to find Laura’s killer and her daughter, and the second suspect who’d helped Taynor get away.
    She didn’t have to say a word—Reese knew her too well. He shook his head. “I know you’ll want to help when you’re out of the hospital, but you’ve got to get it through your head that you’ll need to recover from the bullet wound and the concussion.”
    As far as the concussion, Kelley had known something wasn’t quite right. She hadn’t been feeling well, but she’d pushed it aside, certain that she’d be able to function just fine. How wrong she’d been.
    Again pressure built up behind her eyes. Old feelings and memories that she’d thought had been long buried rose up inside her. She clenched her hands into fists and took a deep breath and then another one. She had to get herself under control. Had to.
    “How bad are you hurt, Petrova?” John McBride stood beside her as the paramedics put her on the gurney.
    She was feeling weaker and weaker. “I’ll live,” she muttered.
    John frowned. “Something’s wrong, and I’m not talking about the bullet you took in the shoulder.”
    He had always been perceptive with a keen cop sense. She thought about telling him the truth but held it back. Reese was putting his own career on the line by lying to cover up her mistake. The least she could do was keep to his story. “I got shot. What the hell else do you think it could be?”
    John just studied her. “Take care of yourself.”
    Kelley didn’t answer. Instead she fought back tears she refused to cry.

Chapter 2
    “I’m fine.” Kelley’s voice traveled down the hospital corridor as Reese walked in that direction. “I want to go home,” she demanded. “And I