Free Tangled Lies by Connie Mann Page B

he could see what was going on behind those dark glasses, because her whole body stiffened.
    “I’ll think about it.” She sped off.
    He shook his head. He’d never understand women, Sasha Petrov least of all. But dang, that haughty-yet-vulnerable look got to him every time. Always had. He sighed and went to work. Probably always would, too.
    He had the second tire off when that familiar tingle slid down his back. He was being watched. He stood slowly and stretched his back, studying the tidy cottages on either side, but he didn’t see a curtain twitch or anyone outside. Just because he didn’t see them didn’t mean someone wasn’t there. He hadn’t known he had that early-warning system until it had saved his life in jail, more than once. He supposed he should be grateful.
    After several minutes, he went back to wrestling with the tires. But he positioned himself so he had a clear view of the street, with the cottage at his back. Just in case.

Chapter 5
    Sasha drove back into town, hands clenched on the steering wheel and gearshift. Why had Jesse’s simple question rattled her so badly? It wasn’t like she didn’t get asked to dinner on a semiregular basis. This was different. This was Jesse. And Jesse mattered. He always had.
    She could never risk hurting Jesse.
    Her cell phone rang, and she tugged it out of the pocket of her shorts, too late to answer the call from Eve. She’d call her back when she got to the police station. Half a mile later, Eve called again.
    By the time she pulled into the parking lot, it rang a third time.
    “What? I’m driving, here.”
    “Why didn’t you answer?” Eve demanded.
    “And hello to you, too, Sister. I can’t talk on a doggone cell phone and drive stick, OK?”
    “Sorry. Why didn’t you call me?”
    Sasha held the phone out and stared at it for a moment. “Seriously? Weren’t you supposed to call me when you got back to DC?”
    “Oh, sorry. Forgot. So what did you find out? Do you have the files yet?”
    “Back up. You read me the riot act when you’re the one who forgot to call?”
    Eve sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. As soon as I landed, I got a call from work and I’ve been going nonstop ever since.”
    “It happens. Just remember to cut me the same kind of slack you expect.”
    Another sigh. “Touché. So, anything?”
    “I’m heading in now. Officer Stanton called and said he had the file.”
    “Call me as soon as—”
    “Bye, Eve. Gotta go.”
    Her phone rang again before she reached the reception desk, so she turned the ringer off and tucked the phone back into her pocket.
    “I appreciate your calling me right away, Officer Stanton.”
    He smiled. “We’re not that formal around here. Call me Nick. I admit your request made me curious. I haven’t been here long enough to know a lot about our old cases, so I wanted to look myself.” He handed her an envelope and she untied the string holding it closed.
    “You’re welcome to sit in the conference room if you’d like.”
    She nodded and followed him down the hallway, her stomach churning with a greasy mix of anticipation and dread.
    “Have you lived here long?” she asked, trying to keep the past at bay. Police stations always reminded her of the awful time after her family died in the car wreck back in Russia. She still didn’t know how she survived the accident. Afterward, at the police station, she was terrified and so very cold, but the policemen got in her face, demanding answers to questions she didn’t understand, asking about people she’d never heard of, making it sound like everything was somehow her papa’s fault. Even at nine years old, she knew better. It had been her fault, but she hadn’t been able to get the words past her tears.
    Sasha blinked and forced her mind back to the present.
    “I came about two years ago. Chad Everson and I went to college together. He called me when a job opened up on the force and, well, here I am. I like it here.”
    She gave