Free Walk the Right Road: The Complete Series by Lorhainne Eckhart Page A

sliced through the black strap. He shoved Marcie hard, and she fell forward onto her knees before smacking her head on the unforgiving tile.
    Her head stung just watching the recap. Sam and Dev faced her again. Were they worried she’d pass out? Or maybe it was her reaction. Was she a victim or somehow involved with her attacker? No one could say for sure. Even she wasn’t naive enough to deny something was at play.
    “You okay, babe?” Even with his gruff, scratchy appearance, Sam destroyed all doubts she had of his credibility. He wouldn’t toss her to the wolves—he wouldn’t abandon her, and he wouldn’t sneak away, and that meant more to her than she could explain. Instead of being comforted by this revelation, she was rattled.
    “Marcie, you okay?”
    She tried to force a smile past the rising lump stuck in her throat. She failed miserably. “Yeah, sure, just peachy.”
    “Is that the beginning of some attitude I’m sensing? Under the circumstances, Marcie, I’ll cut you some slack. But watch it.”
    Why couldn’t she say thank you? Sam stood between Marcie and Dev and leaned in closer to the screen. What was he looking for? The eyes can fool you. Look deeper for your answer. Not all may be as it appears. Her heart beat faster. She looked at both men, trying to figure out what was going on.
    “Dev, what’s the story on Reggie?” Marcie couldn’t see Dev’s face; Sam pulled his chair in closer and sat and then swiveled the chair around, blocking her view of Dev. She felt hidden, protected.
    “Come on, Dev, what gives? This guy smuggling contraband or is it something else?”
    “Look, Sam, I can’t say. Just know we got our eye on him. But I’m curious about something. See here in the video, you, right behind your girl before she goes down, watching her. And even when she falls, you pause, but you don’t go after the kid who robbed her. Why’s that?”
    “What the hell are you talking about? I just got off the plane after busting my butt for months on an operation that was fucked up. I was tired, and there was a whole bunch of people around. I’m not the only one walking behind her.” Sam waved his hands in the air, making no attempt to lower his voice. Marcie could tell by the way Sam bunched his shoulders that he was well on his way to being in a piss-poor mood. She wondered if Dev was deliberately provoking him.
    Dev crossed his arms and rolled his solid shoulders back. His full mouth tightened so his lips resembled a thin line. “Take a look from my perspective. You walk away from some big undercover operation with the DEA after marijuana’s found stashed in your locker, and from what I understand, it wasn’t a small amount. That was after a tip was phoned into the Sheriff. You claim it was planted.” Dev shrugged his shoulders. His sparkling eyes steeled to something hard and accusing. “So, Sam, how would it look to you that you just happened to be right behind some babe in my airport who’s probably carrying something suspicious. Add in the one guy who works here, who we suspect is involved in smuggling contraband, and he just happens to pass something to a guy who takes what she has—coincidence? I’m sure you’ll agree there’s no such thing. You have quite a history, Sam, not all of it good.”
    “Whoa, whoa, Jesus Murphy, where are you getting all this bullshit?” Sam stood right in Dev’s face, flexing his fists, his back ramrod straight, as if getting ready to take on a street thug.
    “Back off, Sam. I just happened to find out from Seattle PD when I sent a copy of this video segment to help your girl here find out who she is. Someone recognized you, and the detective I spoke with was quite free with his information. Apparently, you’re a hot topic this month.”
    Uneasy tension rippled. “Time to go, Marcie.”
    She had no time to respond. Sam snatched her hand and pulled her up behind him, hustling her out the door. His arm slid around her shoulder and propelled