Free Deception by Carol Ericson Page A

recover my data.”
    Alec swung his door wide and pointed to a row of computer monitors and towers lining one wall of his small apartment. “If I can rescue your hard drive, I think we have a chance.”
    They crossed the room to the computer bank, and Mia pulled her laptop out of the case. “At least it didn’t burn, but it got bounced around pretty good.”
    Alec booted up the computer, watched the error messages scroll down the blue screen and sucked in his cheek. “Yeah, there’s some damage to the motherboard, but the hard drive might be salvageable.”
    “I hope so. I have…stuff I need on there.”
    “No backup?”
    She held up her hands. “Guilty. I would occasionally drag important files and…and some pictures over to a flash drive, but I haven’t done that in a few weeks.”
    “If I can recover anything, I’ll put it on one of my computers.” He tapped a monitor almost lovingly. “Then when you buy a new computer, I can transfer it over for you.”
    “That would be great.” She turned to Dylan. “Is that big electronics store still by the outlet mall down the coast?”
    “Still there. Are you going out there now?”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Planning on a police escort?”
    “No. I have a whole town to police.”
    Alec popped his head up from a cabinet he’d been rummaging in, clutching a cable. “I might have this ready by later this afternoon if you want to check back.”
    “That would be great.”
    They walked away from Alec’s apartment building and Mia said, “You can follow me back to Main Street, if you’re going back to the station. I’m popping in to see Linda Davis about the house.”
    “I am going back to the station, so don’t think I’m following you around town.”
    Mia laughed, but the presence of Dylan’s squad car behind her cast a comforting glow around her heart. What would it be like to have him to lean on always?
    Dylan pulled his car into the small lot of the police station, and Mia cruised to the curb in front of Linda’s Realty office. She waited next to her car until Dylan sauntered from the parking lot.
    Mia hung the toes of her sandals off the edge of the curb. “Dinner later? Maybe?”
    “Sure, if you don’t feel like I’m smothering you.”
    A warm flush heated her cheeks more than the summer sun beating down her. “I don’t feel smothered.”
    “I can’t help feeling protective about you, Mimi.”
    “I know. You can’t get past thinking of me as that dumb little girl.”
    “Oh, I think I’m past that.”
    The smolder in his blue eyes convinced her he was past thinking of her as a little girl.
    Her feet moved toward him, his presence drawing her like a magnet. Someone burst out of the police station, and Mia jumped back.
    Peter, his face red with purple blotches, stormed toward her, his fist shaking. “You bitch. You think you can toy with me? I’m going to kill you.”

Chapter Seven
    Mia staggered back as Dylan got between her and Peter’s fist. Peter had always been snide but cool. She’d never seen this level of violence from him before.
    He must’ve heard from the IRS.
    “Whoa.” Dylan slammed a hand into Peter’s chest to halt his forward motion. “You need to back off.”
    Peter puffed out his chest in a belligerent stance. “Maybe you’d better back off. You don’t know what you’re dealing with. She’s a black widow.”
    Yep, definitely the IRS.
    Mia’s gaze darted up and down the street. Like in any small town, people had come out of their shops or stopped on the sidewalk to watch the scene. Linda Davis hovered by her door, motioning to Mia to get inside her office.
    “Sir, you need to go about your business. Whatever your issue with Mia, this isn’t the time or the place.”
    “Do you want to know what she did? Or maybe she already told you.” He snorted. “Oh, no, she’d want to keep that side of herself from you.”
    “Give it up, Peter. You’re never going to get your hands on Columbella House.”
    “The