Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
She hesitated, worrying that plump bottom lip between her teeth. Nash itched to reach out and smooth the tiny furrow between her brows, but he kept his hands to himself—reluctantly.
“Why not?” She stood and grabbed her purse. “Just let me tell Mila where I’m headed in case Mr. Benedict asks.”
Nash nodded, tamping down his irritation at the mention of her boss. The way she avoided the asshole, he’d bet the man had been giving her a hard time. He itched to march into Benedict’s office and give the bastard a piece of his mind. But he reined in the impulse. Haisley wouldn’t appreciate him fighting the battles she was more than capable of handling herself.
No doubt she was sidestepping conversations with Mr. Benedict, not because she was afraid of him, but because she was worried she’d snap back and get herself fired. Haisley refused to take shit from anyone. That, along with her cleverness and loyalty, were some of the things he loved most about her.
They stopped by Mila’s desk quickly, but she wasn’t in her office. And her boss’s door was closed, so Haisley sent a text to Mr. Benedict.
As they headed to the elevator in thick silence, Nash couldn’t help stealing glances, drinking in the determined set of her jaw and the way the fluorescent lights lit up her fiery hair. Her ass looked damn fine in that skirt, too.
God, she was beautiful. She sucker-punched him every time he looked at her.
“You’re staring,” she murmured as they stepped into the empty elevator. “If I have food on my face, you need to tell me.”
Nash laughed, leaning back against the wall. “Nothing like that. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen you get involved in something you’re passionate about. It looks good on you.”
A pleased flush spread across her cheeks. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
“Just stating facts.” He let his voice dip into that low, teasing register he knew drove her crazy, gratified when her breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
The elevator dinged, doors sliding open, and Haisley darted out into the lobby. Nash fell into step beside her as they headed for his truck.
Once they were on the road, he glanced over at her and caught her fiddling with the strap of her purse. A sure sign she was nervous. Or upset.
“Hey,” he called softly, waiting until she met his gaze. “You okay? You seem a little off today.”
Haisley shrugged, looking out the window again. “Just a lot on my mind. You know, with the case, not to mention Mr. Benedict being an absolute douche nozzle to work for. He hired me because I know social media in a way he doesn’t, but he keeps trying to tell me how to do my job. It’s annoying; that’s all.”
That wasn’t all. Even after two years apart, Nash knew Haisley too well to believe that. Her skin was too thick for the bastard to crawl under it in a handful of days. Which left Nash to wonder… Was she actually upset because she still believed he’d considered her an easy hookup? Or confused because he’d stopped flirting?
She changed the subject. “How did the rest of the interviews go yesterday?”
“Mixed bag. I want to circle back with Bianca, one of the targets who escaped. She was at the mall with her ex-boyfriend. They got into a fight, and the asshole left her there. She called her mom and was waiting in the food court for her ride.”
“And she went to the bathroom.” Haisley sighed. “Then her bad night turned horrific.”
Nash nodded. “At first, she thought her assailant was her boyfriend messing with her. Then she realized this guy was much bigger and stronger. Since she had just finished a self-defense class, she managed a few maneuvers and fled to the well-lit food court. She said ten seconds later, she looked back to scream at someone to grab him, but he’d already disappeared.”
“Oh, god. How terrifying, but I’m glad she escaped.”
“Me, too. Her mother has hardly let her out of her sight since that happened in September. Bianca has anxiety and nightmares now. She even insisted on being homeschooled because she’s afraid to leave her house.”
“I hope she broke up with the boyfriend, too.”
Nash sent her a ghost of a smile. Haisley always advocated for herself. She never understood when other women didn’t have her backbone, and he loved that about her. “She did. I asked. After that interview, I talked to another of the victims who escaped, Summit.”
“That’s her name? Poor thing. As another person with an unusual name, I feel for her. I’ve always said that I’ll punch the next person who calls me Paisley, but I’m sure she gets called all kinds of crap.”
“Probably. Hell, I’ve been called Hash, Mash, Lash, Bash, Stash…” He laughed. “But Summit has multiple ways for people to abuse her name. Sydney, Sheila, Shelby—”