Undercover Love (The Women of Manatee Bay, Book 2) by Jessica Nelson

Author:Jessica Nelson [Nelson, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessica Nelson LLC
Published: 2013-12-24T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Rachel wasn’t going to stalk Grant.

Just a little visit to his house after stopping by Corrine’s. Visiting didn’t constitute stalking, right?

Rachel inched down the road that led to Corrine’s apartment. Traffic was light despite the lunch hour. Heat was keeping people inside.

She parked and traipsed up to the door. She lifted her hand to knock but the door opened before he knuckles touched the scarred wood. Corrine beckoned her in.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the apartment. Curtains were drawn and stale cigarette smoke flavored the air. The place needed a good cleaning. So did Corrine, for that matter. The woman’s hair ratted around her face and make-up smudged her cheeks.

Thanks to a still swollen face, Corrine couldn’t smile well, though Rachel wasn’t sure she would anyway.

“You texted me to stop by?” Rachel offered what she hoped was a sympathetic look.

“I just needed to say thank you. For helping me.”

“Okay, I get that.” Rachel met Corrine’s gaze, concern throbbing through her. “You’re welcome. Why are you home though? It’s not safe.”

Corrine fingered her hair. “I got new locks.”

“Do you feel safe?”

Corrine froze, fingers hovering near her battered face. A musty smell rose up from the carpet as Rachel waited.

Corrine’s head moved faintly. Side to side. No.

Rachel squelched the urge to gather Corrine in a hug. Grant needed to be called. He’d do something. “You should leave now. Find a hotel.”

A short, bitter laugh coughed out of the woman in front of her. “Right. With what money?”

“I’ll get you a hotel. Out of town.”

Corrine looked away, mouth pulled into a deep frown. “I don’t need handouts.”

“He’ll find you here,” Rachel persisted.

Corrine shrugged. She looked…resigned.

“We’re going to change this. You can stay with me.” As if propelled by some unseen force, the words plopped out of her mouth and landed in the middle of that dark living room.

Corrine shook her head.

A desperate feeling wedged in Rachel’s throat. Suddenly, helping Corrine represented something she couldn’t quite name. “I have room. Let’s pack a bag.”

She started forward, determined to save this woman from herself. What had the police been thinking anyway, letting her come back here?

Corrine touched her arm before she’d taken two steps. She shook her head at Rachel.

“Why?” Rachel demanded. “They know where you are. They’ll be back.”

Corrine’s phone chirruped from the couch. Flicking Rachel a quick, unreadable look, she snagged the phone and read the text.

“You have to leave.” She tossed the phone on her couch, marched over and pushed Rachel to the door.

“Now? Why?”

Corrine’s palm planted in the middle of Rachel’s back. Unsure what was happening, Rachel let Corrine push her out of the apartment.

“I hope everything is okay,” she managed to say before the woman shut the door in her face.

Great. She’d give anything to read that text. There were ways but it would probably take too much time.

She trudged out to her car, basking in the sun’s warmth, wishing it could melt the stiffness from her shoulders. Even the thought of covertly checking out Grant’s place didn’t ease the worry that lodged in her heart.

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