Skin Deep Read Free Page A

know it involved a lot of money. He knew what had been done to her.
    She closed her eyes and began to count, breathing deeply, trying to dissipate the panic that had begun to gather behind her breastbone.
    “The witness put three forty-five rounds through that Continental. With any luck, some bastard is on his way to the ER with lead in his ass. We’re canvassing ERs just in case. No, I didn’t get to speak with the man, though I owe him a huge debt of thanks.”
    Megan’s eyes opened, her brother’s words bringing back those few crucial moments in the car.
    Are you okay?
    Y-yes, but the men in the other car—
    Get down!
    Bam! Bam! Bam!
    Nathaniel West might well have saved her life tonight—and Emily’s.
    The microwave beeped, making Megan jump.
    She drew a shaky breath. Willing herself to hold onto her composure for Emily’s sake, she reached for her daughter, who sat on the floor coloring in her new horse coloring book. “Let’s wash your hands, sweet pea.”
    She picked Emily up, carried her to the sink and helped her lather and rinse her hands, then sat her in her chair, placing the plate of spaghetti and green beans before her together with a small fork and a sippy cup of milk. She reached for a bib and was tying it around Emily’s neck when someone came up behind her.
    “What am I supposed to eat?”
    Megan gasped and jumped, startled by the sound of her brother’s voice. “I … I can make more spaghetti if you…”
    “Megan.” Marc’s grin faded to a look of concern. He drew her into his arms and held her close. “I was kidding. The last thing in the world I want you to worry about tonight is feeding my face. I’ll send one of the guys out to grab me a sandwich or something. You should eat, too.”
    “I’m not hungry.” Megan let herself sink into her brother’s embrace, hating herself for feeling so afraid again, so vulnerable. She’d tried to put all of this behind her for Emily’s sake—and for her own. And now…
    “I’m so, so sorry this happened.” Marc drew back, looked into her eyes. “I promise I’m going to put him away so that he can’t hurt you or threaten Emily again. I wish I’d blown his head off when I had the chance.”
    Megan drew away, shaking her head. “Don’t say that. If you had, you’d probably still be in prison.”
    Marc raised a hand to the earpiece in his right ear, his gaze shifting toward the front door a moment before someone knocked. “It’s about time.”
    Megan watched while Marc walked to the door and opened it to reveal Julian Darcangelo, his best friend and the only police officer other than her brother whom Megan trusted with her life. He was dressed head to toe in black as he usually was when he was working a case—black leather jacket, black turtleneck, black jeans, black boots—his dark hair tied back in a short ponytail.
    “McBride is on his way.” He exchanged a quick glance with Marc, then strolled into the kitchen. “How you doing, kiddo?”
    Megan hugged her arms around herself, the concern and sympathy in Julian’s eyes somehow making it harder not to cry. “I  … I’m okay.”
    “Uncle Julie!” Emily squealed at the sight of him, her face lighting up, her smile messy with spaghetti sauce.
    From the living room, Megan heard Marc snicker. “Uncle Julie .”
    “Hey, sweetie.” Julian flipped Marc off discreetly behind his back, gave Emily a warm smile, then met Megan’s gaze, seeming to study her. “You need a hug?”
    It was Julian’s way of asking her whether it was okay for him to touch her. He had spent the better part of his years with the FBI working undercover to free girls and women who’d fallen victim to sex trafficking. He seemed to understand better than anyone how hard it was for her to trust men, to let them near her, to let them touch her, even in a casual way.
    She nodded, tears blurring her vision.
    He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay. Donny doesn’t know it yet, but he just