Read Above Protection (Imperfect Heroes Book 1) for Free Online

had a light jacket draped over her arm. One large
suitcase sat at her feet and she had a small purse slung over her
slender shoulder. She stared at me with a blank expression and I
bit back a smile. She was waiting by the door like a good
girl.
    This one catches on
quickly.
    I moved past her, grabbed her
suitcase, and opened the front door and looked both ways down her
hallway with my gun drawn. I saw the coast was clear so I went into
the hall. She followed behind me, and I turned around and said,
“Lock the door.”
    She nodded and did as she was told. We
used a side emergency exit that led to the back of the massive
condo complex. I disarmed the little sports car. It didn’t seem to
have much of a trunk, but thankfully her little red suitcase and my
camo duffel fit fine back there.
    She stood by the car, still staring at
me with that blank expression. I used my key to point at the
passenger door, already annoyed. “What are you waiting for? Get in.
We have a long drive.”
    Looking a bit offended but saying
nothing, she slid into the passenger seat and closed the door. I
got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. I knew the FBI
would make me leave my cell at the vic’s house, so I’d printed out
specific instructions from my work computer before I’d left. This
whole paper map thing was gonna suck ass. I was beyond spoiled with
technology.
    Remind me never to slam a suspect’s
face into the pavement again. This whole Witness Protection detail
was for the motherfuckin’ birds. I’ll be glad when this is
over.
    The map told me I have to cross over
the bridge again to reach the interstate, so I headed toward it.
The view was just as breathtaking as it was yesterday, and I put my
sunglasses on to shield my eyes from the glare of the sun’s rays on
the water. I glanced briefly over at the vic, and she also had her
sunglasses on, her hand up to her pouty lips as she stared out the
window. She looked deep in thought, and I looked away. I’d been
kind of a dick to her, but she’d rubbed me the wrong way from the
moment I met her. Was that her fault? Maybe. I guess if I had a hit
out on me I might be a little jumpy and testy too. Plus, she was
way too easy on the eyes, from her blonde head to her red painted
toenails. Not cool. I didn’t need that type of
distraction.
    I found the freeway entrance easily
enough, and once the little car was cruising along at the speed
limit, I set the cruise control to ease the pain in my leg. I
quickly flipped on the radio to fill the deafening silence. Some
sort of classic rock station was playing and Rayanne looked at the
radio, then at me. Before I could ask her what she wanted to listen
to, her head turned back to face the window and she continued to
gaze out of it.
    “You can listen to whatever you want.
The quiet makes me crazy so I just needed to find something,” I
said, not sure why I felt the need to justify my
actions.
    She glanced at me again and said,
“It’s fine, Duke. I don’t care what we listen to.”
    I could immediately tell that was a
lie. She probably hated the radio station I’d chosen, and if she
wanted to lie, well then she could deal with it. I leaned over and
turned it up louder.
    Once again glancing at the radio, she
then looked at me through her sunglasses. “Where are you taking me,
anyway?”
    I threw her a smirk and ran my hand
over my beard. “I can’t tell you that, Blondie. Top secret and all
that.”
    “I see,” she replied. She then quickly
snatched the paper from my lap and studied it. “Pembroke, Virginia?
Seriously?”
    I grabbed it out of her hand, more
pissed off at myself than her for not keeping the paper in my
pocket. “I’m gonna have to take your cell phone now that you know
where we’re headed.” I held out my hand, but she didn’t
move.
    Instead, she scoffed and continued to
look out the window. “There’s no data on my phone, and as you can
see, I’m not texting or calling anyone, so maybe you should