Read Gridlock: A Ryan Lock Novel for Free Online Page B

‘I don’t mean to be rude here but I need protection, I was told you’re the best person to provide it, and I’m prepared to pay your rates.’
    Lock held up his hand to stop her. ‘Who told you I’m the best?’
    ‘Lawrence did. He knew you were working out here. Now, are you going to help me? Because if you’re not, I need to find someone who will.’
    Stanner stepped in and pulled Lock to one side, away from Raven. ‘We have to cover city officials, all the schools in the LA district, a lot of Hollywood people, plus all the aggravated stalking cases, and you wouldn’t like to guess how many of those we have running currently. Now, we would never ask a citizen to pay for extra help, but with the state’s budget problems, and if they have the funds…’ He trailed off.
    Lock glanced back towards the house. One of the techs moved away from the trunk of the car and he caught a glimpse of the torso, the stump of the neck sealed with a sheet of clear plastic. ‘You have any idea who the body in the trunk belonged to?’ He directed the question at Stanner.
    Stanner stared at him.
    ‘Sorry, I forgot,’ said Lock.
    ‘Procedure,’ Stanner said.
    Lock took a moment to think things over. Raven was being stalked: Stanner’s presence confirmed that much. The body in the trunk confirmed a real threat to her life – if she hadn’t put it there herself, which was always a possibility. Leaving that aside, though, there was definitely a job to be done and Raven had the funds to pay him to do it.
    On the other hand, there was something off about the whole thing. Why would a stalker dump a headless corpse in Raven’s trunk when, for the same amount of effort, he could have kidnapped Raven herself? It didn’t add up.
    ‘So, what do you say, Mr Lock?’ Raven asked him.
    Before he could answer, a red-haired woman in a bathrobe emerged from the house next door. Shrugging a patrol officer out of the way she made a beeline towards them. Instinctively, Lock stepped in front of her, placing himself between her and Raven as she launched into a tirade.
    ‘We know who you are, you know,’ the woman was shouting, ‘and what you do for a living. No one wants someone like you next door to them. We have kids.’
    Lock caught shock and anguish on Raven’s face as it reddened. He stepped towards the woman. ‘Get out of here.’
    Stanner nodded to a nearby patrol officer. ‘Jimmy.’
    Still screaming at Raven, the woman was ushered away. Lock turned to Raven, but she was already walking back towards the house, her head bent in defeat. ‘Hold on,’ he called to her. ‘I need to make a phone call first. Run this past my partner.’
    Digging his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans, he pulled up Ty Johnson’s number on speed dial. They had met while serving in the military, Ty in the Marine Corp and Lock in the British Royal Military Police, but now they both worked in private security, Ty serving as Lock’s second-in-command. Ty was not going to be happy about being woken, and even less happy about Lock asking him to cancel the vacation he was about to take.
    Ty picked up on the fourth ring. ‘I’m visiting family, dude.’
    ‘I need you back in LA right now.’
    ‘I don’t know if I can do that, brother. Who’s the principal? Listen, if it’s one of those Hollywood types you can forget it. They’re way too high-maintenance.’
    Lock smiled to himself, ready to play his trump card. ‘Well, she is an entertainer. And she’s definitely going to be high maintenance.’ He sensed he had piqued Ty’s curiosity.
    ‘She?’
    ‘That’s what I said.’
    ‘What’s her name?’
    Lock told him. There was a spluttering sound at the other end of the line.
    ‘The Raven Lane? You mean – the porn star?’
    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Lock said. ‘You’re visiting family. I shouldn’t have bothered you.’
    In the background, Lock picked up what sounded like Ty getting out of bed. ‘No, it’s okay, man. The lady’s