Deadly Arrival (Hardy Brothers Security Book 16) Read Online Free Page B

you, Finn,” Emma sobbed. “If something happens to me, I need you to know that.”
    “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything in this world, Emma,” Finn said. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Believe me.”
     
    “HOW are things up there?” James asked, arching an eyebrow as Mandy, Ally, and Sophie joined him on the main floor.
    “Rough,” Mandy replied. “She’s so panicked she won’t listen to anything but her fear. Finn is doing his best, but … .”
    James pressed his lips together, worry for his brother momentarily overtaking him. There was nothing worse than trying to protect the woman you love when she was terrified. It was a helpless feeling.
    “Hopefully a good night’s sleep will help her,” Sophie interjected. “She’s overwrought right now. She can’t think straight.”
    “Hopefully the police will catch up with Pritchard by morning,” James said. “That would be the best possible outcome.”
    “The best possible outcome would be if Peter caught up with Pritchard first,” Sophie countered. “Then he’d know a little bit about pain and fear before he disappeared from the face of the Earth.”
    James arched an eyebrow. Sophie’s bloodthirsty side reared its head occasionally. This was one of those times. He opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut when the bell over the front door rang and the door opened to allow Maverick entrance.
    The twenty-year-old slacker didn’t look thrilled to be there. He was dressed down in pants that looked as if they were about to fall off his hips – and some gaming T-shirt James didn’t recognize – and his attitude was surly from the moment he greeted everyone.
    “This had better be good,” he said. “I was in the middle of an important online tournament.”
    “I don’t care,” James replied, straightening. “We have a huge situation. Have you been watching the news?”
    Maverick shook his head. “The news is depressing. I don’t like to be depressed.”
    “You make me tired,” James muttered. “You’re going to have to brace yourself to be depressed. Four men escaped from the Jackson prison. We believe one of them is on his way here. We need this building locked down. I want every window wired. We’re adding cameras outside. I want additional feeds to a monitor upstairs. I also want feeds to monitors at Grady’s house and mine.”
    “That’s a lot of work,” Maverick pointed out. “I’m going to want a big paycheck.”
    “I don’t care how much it costs,” James shot back.
    “Why is this guy coming after you?” Maverick asked, casting a sidelong look at Ally. “You’re still as hot as I remember.”
    Ally made a face. “Focus on your job.”
    Maverick rolled his eyes until they landed on James again. “Who is this guy?”
    “His name is Lance Pritchard,” James said, wetting his lips. “I … .”
    Maverick tilted his head to the side, his greasy hair spilling over his shoulder. He looked as if he’d been too busy playing video games to shower … for at least four days. “Why do I know that name?”
    “Because he was big news here several years ago,” Sophie supplied. “His trial was on every news channel. You were probably young enough that you only heard about him secondhand when you got older.”
    “What did he do?”
    “He’s a child molester,” James answered, opting not to mince words. “He molested like forty kids in Eastpointe, although he wasn’t tried on all of those counts because some of the victims didn’t want to testify.”
    “Oh, yeah, I remember that guy,” Maverick said. “I was like thirteen at the time and my mother was scared for me to leave the house – even though we didn’t live anywhere close to Eastpointe – and everyone watched his trial on television every day. She was convinced I was going to be grabbed off the street.”
    “Now do you understand why this is so important?” James prodded.
    Maverick shook his head. “Why are you guys involved