Read Trust No One for Free Online

comments? At least raise some eyebrows.”
    “You so nosey with every mechanic who works on your truck?” she asked pointedly, echoing his earlier answer to her question.
    Even as she knew he caught her not-so-subtle dig, he smiled, a damned lethal smile that about made her swallow her tongue. Another unexpected reaction. Unwanted, she reminded herself. Just been without sex too long, she told herself and forced her mind back to business.
    In grim silence, she jerked the tire off the workbench and hauled it to his truck, never mind it would’ve been easier to roll it. She lined the tire up with the bolts and tightened the lug nuts in record time, aware of him watching her every move. She dropped the lever to lower the truck back to the ground.
    “That’ll be ten bucks,” she said, smearing the dirt from her hands onto her shop rag.
    He followed her to the cash register inside the small air-conditioned office.
    “Quality work, prompt friendly service. Ten dollars is a bargain.” He handed her a twenty from his wallet. “I have one more question for you.”
    She pulled a ten from the cash drawer. “Finally.” She handed him his change.
    “Finally?”
    She narrowed her gaze. “You’re finally going to tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”
    “I had a leaking–”
    “Cut the bullshit. You’ve been following me for two days.”
    His innocent look fell away. She walked around the counter to face him.
    “Jeff said you were good,” he said, referring to the Vista boss.
    “I was the best, honey. And I’m still good enough to break your knee if you don’t start talking.” One quick snap of her foot, and he’d be howling on the floor.
    “Think so? Maybe I’m not so bad myself.”
    She twisted her lips in a semblance of a smile. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be here bugging me. What’d you do to get on Jeff’s bad side?”
    “I’d laugh at your obvious joke, but I don’t find it amusing.”
    “Who said I was joking? I’ll make it easy for you. Who are you, and what do you want?”
    Surprisingly, he stayed quite calm. He leaned on the counter, propping himself on an elbow.
    “Name’s Ben Walker. You’re right. Jeff sent me. Can we talk over lunch?”
    “Nope.” No way would she miss lunchtime with her daughter.
    The look on his face said he’d expected her to be uncooperative. “Coffee then?” he asked. “Right now is fine.”
    “No coffee. But ‘right now is fine’ is right. Spit it out, Mr. Walker. And don’t waste your breath. If Jeff wants me to do something for Vista, I’m retired. Out of the business. A real lady of leisure now.”
    He rubbed his hand on his chin, drawing her gaze to his lips. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Happily playing mommy.”
    She bristled at the faint bitterness she heard in his voice. There was no crime in being a mother. “What I’m doing with my life is none of your business.”
    “Now, unfortunately, you’re wrong. Jeff made it my business.”
    She was tired of the back and forth obscure references. It somehow reminded her of foreplay. Something she definitely didn’t want to have on her mind, especially with the good-looking man standing in front of her.
    “Just what is it you think you can dangle over my head, Mr. Walker, to make me give a damn about what you have to say?”
    “Your sister.”
    His answer was so unexpected it took her a heartbeat to gather her thoughts. “I don’t have-”
    “Tasha.”
    “Has she been captured?”
    He shook his head.
    “Injured?”
    “No.”
    That only left. . . Dread tightened MJ’s stomach, but she made herself ask anyway. “Is she dead?”
    This time another headshake before he said, “Not yet.”
    Thoughts of breaking his knee tantalized her more each moment. “Just what the hell is ‘not yet’ supposed to mean?”
    He jerked a small envelope out of the side pocket on his jacket, thrust it toward her. When she made no move to take it, he reached across the counter, took her hand and slapped the