Free Jared: Red, Hot, & Blue, Book 4 by Cat Johnson Page B

we used birth control every single time.” Jared enunciated every word to prove his point. His stomach clenched and his lunch threatened to work its way back up his throat.
    “Birth control fails.” He longed to wipe the smug expression off her face.
    “You said you were on the pill and I used a condom every single fucking time. Don’t you dare lie and tell me you’re pregnant by me.” Then a thought struck him, clear as day. “Who else have you been screwing, Sue Ann?”
    Maybe Sue Ann was telling the truth. She may well be pregnant, but it sure as hell wasn’t by him. She blanched and he was sure he’d hit on the truth, but she still denied it.
    He stopped listening to her claims and excuses. “Fine. Say whatever you want. We’ll go to the doc for a paternity test today. Right fucking now, Sue Ann.” He grabbed her arm roughly, and Bobby was beside him again. “Back off, Bobby. Leave me and the supposed mother of my child alone until I can get the doc to prove she’s a liar.”
    Sue Ann dug her heels into the sidewalk. “No, we can’t go to the doc. I mean I’m sure those tests can hurt the baby. I refuse to have one.”
    Just then, Misty piped in. “Sue Ann, hadn’t you better take the pregnancy test you bought at the drugstore first? You’re only like a day late.”
    “What?” Jared’s eyes opened wide and he squeezed her arm harder.
    Bobby’s hand covered his. “Jared. Enough.”
    He released her and watched his handprint on her arm turn from white to red.
    “You don’t even know if you’re pregnant and you’re telling my girlfriend about it.” He shook his head with disgust. “I’m embarrassed I even let you get me angry, Sue Ann, because you are nothing but pitiful. God help the man that ends up with you.”
    He spun on his heel and strode to his truck, fumbling in his jeans pocket for the keys.
    Once again, Bobby was beside him. “Where you going, Jared?”
    “To the Hideaway. I hope to hell she went there and not the airport.”
    “I’ll drive. Give me your keys.”
    “The hell you will.”
    “Jared, give me the damn keys. You’re so angry you’re shaking. Neither you nor Mandy should be driving right now. Since I can’t do anything about her, I’m doing something about you.”
    Jared huffed out a breath and slapped the keys in Bobby’s outstretched hands. “Fine. But hurry up.”
    Bobby scowled. “I’m a deputy sheriff. I can’t go speeding down Main Street, even if I am in your truck.”
    “I knew I should have drove.” Jared shook his head.
    The trip to the motel seemed to take forever, although Jared knew it was only a few miles. When they finally arrived, he saw the place was packed with vans and people unloading them. The crew for the show. Jared took their presence as a good sign. No matter how hurt she was, Mandy was in charge of the production of this show. She wouldn’t leave town, if only because of that.
    His anger at Sue Ann blossomed all over again as he knocked on the door of the unit where Mandy’s car was parked.
    Some young thing that he’d never seen before opened the door a crack. “Yes?”
    For the first time, he wondered if he had the wrong door. “Is Mandy Morris in this room?”
    “Who are you?”
    Jared’s instincts told him Mandy was hiding inside. He pushed his palm against the door, only to find the chain was engaged.
    He leaned into the crack. “Mandy. Please, darlin’. Talk to me.”
    With Bobby standing directly behind him, he knew he couldn’t break the door in to get to Mandy, as tempting as it was.
    The girl guarding the door looked away from him and into the room then turned back to him. “Excuse me for a minute.”
    The door slammed in his face and Jared ran his hand over his mouth and chin with frustration. He felt Bobby’s hand on his shoulder.
    Jared set his jaw. “Bobby, if you say I told you so about Sue Ann one more time, I’ll clock you. Deputy or not.”
    Bobby stepped around him. “Well, I’d like to see you