Free Need Me by Cynthia Eden Page B

definitely worried now, not a good sign. “I was.” He put a deliberate emphasis on
was.
“I have a knack with computers. I learned early on that I could use that knack on the wrong side of the law.” A side that his parents had been too familiar with during their lives. “Or I could try to make up for some of the pain my family caused.” And he had. He’d worked with the cyber unit for years, unraveling so many secrets. Learning that the polite world he saw truly was just a thin veneer of deception. Real monsters were out there, and they were everywhere.
    When Chance had come to him with the idea of opening VJS, he’d agreed. Devlin wasn’t sure if Chance even realized the truth about all the work he’d done for the FBI. Sometimes, Devlin didn’t even want to think of the cases.
    Because he hadn’t just stayed with the cyber unit. He’d gone out on missions, slipped into the darkness…
    And wondered if I’d ever get back into the light.
    Julianna was still trying to pull free. He was still keeping his hold on her. He was afraid if he let her go right then, he just might lose her. He glanced toward her.
    “The FBI,” she said, shaking her head. “I am so screwed.”
    He frowned at her words.
    “How much of her past…” Ethan said, drawing Devlin’s attention, “have you already discovered?”
    “Apparently, not enough,” Devlin fired back. “Because I didn’t realize she was involved with you.” That fact pissed him off. Just how involved had they been? Friends, lovers? And when?
    Ethan Barclay was trouble, and Devlin hated for Julianna to be any place near the guy.
    Ethan’s fingers drummed on the desk top once more. “I know lots of people. You’d be surprised at the folks who owe me favors in this town.”
    “She’s your friend,” Devlin said.
    Ethan inclined his head. “So it would seem.”
    “Then explain to me…” Now fury pumped through him. “Why you let your
friend
stay with that bastard? He broke her wrist. He hit her—”
    Julianna gasped. “Stop—”
    “I saw the hospital records,” Devlin nearly snarled. “Sophie is building your defense, remember? It was easy enough to access those files.” Child’s play. “He didn’t just hurt you once. He hurt you over and—”
    “I tried to leave a second time, all right? I tried!” Her voice was too sharp.
    Ethan shot to his feet. “Julianna…”
    Her shoulders straightened with pride. A pride that made Devlin’s chest ache. “He thought he controlled me when he hurt me. He was wrong. I was just biding my time with him.”
    Ethan paled. “This shit never should have happened! I would have taken care of him! I would have—”
    “The flash drive,” Julianna whispered. “I had to get it, no matter what.”
    For an instant, a red haze swam in front of Devlin’s vision. “You were abused because you were protecting this bastard?” First Sophie had tried to protect Ethan, and now Julianna? What. The. Fuck?
    “No.” Julianna’s voice was sad. “It wasn’t for him.”
    Silence.
    Ethan’s gaze was on Julianna.
    “Who?” Devlin demanded. Who had she endured that pain for? Who the hell was it?
    Julianna cast a worried glance his way. “You don’t have to turn over evidence you find today, do you? I mean, if you’re not FBI any more, maybe you can just let the past go.”
    That ache in his chest got worse. “What are you covering up?” His fingers slid along the inside of her wrist, a caress that he couldn’t help even as he waited to see just how much trouble she was really in.
    Julianna swallowed. “I’m covering up a murder.”

Chapter Seven
    “Uh, Jules,” Ethan said, his voice more than a bit strained. “If Sophie happened to be here right now, this is the part where she’d advise you to stop talking.”
    Devlin had turned to face her. There was no expression on his face. A very big part of her wondered if she were making a terrible mistake. She’d certainly made her share of those over the years.