Read Online Deadly Illusions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 3) by Lily Harper Hart - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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want you to ruin his game.”
“If I didn’t think my brother would beat my ass, I’d be drowning you in a snow bank right about now,” Finn grumbled.
“Well, the easy way out of that is to take Emma and your hot chocolate and go for a nice walk together,” Mandy suggested. “Alone.”
Finn shook his head ruefully. “While I don’t want to give in to your machinations, I do want to get away from you.”
Finn tightened his grip on Emma’s hand and dragged her away, casting a woeful glance over his shoulder one last time. Once they were away from the crowd, Finn shot Emma an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “Mandy is a world-class meddler.”
“She’s really nice,” Emma said, her voice low. “She was really nice to me during my dad’s trial. She was the only one nice to me, in fact.”
“How?” Finn asked, feigning ignorance.
“She realized I wasn’t eating lunch every day, so she started sharing her lunch with me,” Emma said. “She started showing up with a breakfast sandwich and a juice for me every morning, too. I tried to tell her no at first but … .”
“Yeah, she’s not very good with the word no,” Finn said. “Just ask my brother.”
“How long have they been together? Your brother and her, I mean.”
“About seven months now,” Finn said.
“But you all knew each other as kids?”
“James was too old for her when we were kids,” Finn said. “He could have been arrested if he was interested in her back then. It’s all good now, though.”
“And you like her, right? Even though you pretend to be angry with her, you still like her,” Emma said.
“Oh, I’m really angry with her,” Finn said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love her, too.”
Emma nodded knowingly. “It’s nice that you have people like that in your life.”
Finn opened his mouth, unsure how to proceed. “You don’t have to be alone, you know.”
“How so?”
“Well, you could let me take you out to dinner,” Finn suggested. “Then you definitely wouldn’t be alone tonight.”
Part of Emma wanted to say yes. Part of her wanted to bask in his warmth – and that easy smile – and pretend that she was a normal person, even if it was only for one night. That just wasn’t an option for her.
“Thanks for the offer,” she said, finishing off her cup of hot chocolate. “I’m not really dating right now. Thanks for the hot chocolate. It hit the spot. I should really get back and finish up my shift.”
Finn reluctantly let go of her hand, sadly watching her retreating back as she plodded across the snow-covered road. He’d crashed and burned. Again.
Nine
Mandy saw Emma walk away from Finn and return to the Aspen display. Finn was watching her leave, his face sad and wistful. She was so busy watching Finn, she didn’t notice that James had returned.
“How’s my little snow bunny?”
Mandy jerked her head up, focusing on her beautiful boyfriend. He had a knit cap pulled over his ears – and the reddish tint to his cheeks made his handsome face so appealing it was almost criminal. “I’m good,” Mandy said. “Your brother just got shot down by Emma, though.”
James glanced over his shoulder. “What do you want me to do about it?”
“Did I say you have to do anything?”
“No,” James said. “Let’s just say I know that look on your face. You’re about to meddle.”
“That’s an ugly thing to say.”
James leaned his head down, brushing his cold nose against Mandy’s. “What’s in it for me?”
“Oh, you two are so cute I could just puke,” Heidi said, nudging Mandy with her hips. “Can you hand me one of those bags?”
Mandy rolled her eyes, grabbing three bags and shoving them in Heidi’s direction. She wanted a few minutes to manipulate James to her way of thinking.
“What do you want?”
“Is this a trick?” James asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Nope. It’s a genuine offer.”
James tilted his head to the side,
“If I didn’t think my brother would beat my ass, I’d be drowning you in a snow bank right about now,” Finn grumbled.
“Well, the easy way out of that is to take Emma and your hot chocolate and go for a nice walk together,” Mandy suggested. “Alone.”
Finn shook his head ruefully. “While I don’t want to give in to your machinations, I do want to get away from you.”
Finn tightened his grip on Emma’s hand and dragged her away, casting a woeful glance over his shoulder one last time. Once they were away from the crowd, Finn shot Emma an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “Mandy is a world-class meddler.”
“She’s really nice,” Emma said, her voice low. “She was really nice to me during my dad’s trial. She was the only one nice to me, in fact.”
“How?” Finn asked, feigning ignorance.
“She realized I wasn’t eating lunch every day, so she started sharing her lunch with me,” Emma said. “She started showing up with a breakfast sandwich and a juice for me every morning, too. I tried to tell her no at first but … .”
“Yeah, she’s not very good with the word no,” Finn said. “Just ask my brother.”
“How long have they been together? Your brother and her, I mean.”
“About seven months now,” Finn said.
“But you all knew each other as kids?”
“James was too old for her when we were kids,” Finn said. “He could have been arrested if he was interested in her back then. It’s all good now, though.”
“And you like her, right? Even though you pretend to be angry with her, you still like her,” Emma said.
“Oh, I’m really angry with her,” Finn said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love her, too.”
Emma nodded knowingly. “It’s nice that you have people like that in your life.”
Finn opened his mouth, unsure how to proceed. “You don’t have to be alone, you know.”
“How so?”
“Well, you could let me take you out to dinner,” Finn suggested. “Then you definitely wouldn’t be alone tonight.”
Part of Emma wanted to say yes. Part of her wanted to bask in his warmth – and that easy smile – and pretend that she was a normal person, even if it was only for one night. That just wasn’t an option for her.
“Thanks for the offer,” she said, finishing off her cup of hot chocolate. “I’m not really dating right now. Thanks for the hot chocolate. It hit the spot. I should really get back and finish up my shift.”
Finn reluctantly let go of her hand, sadly watching her retreating back as she plodded across the snow-covered road. He’d crashed and burned. Again.
Nine
Mandy saw Emma walk away from Finn and return to the Aspen display. Finn was watching her leave, his face sad and wistful. She was so busy watching Finn, she didn’t notice that James had returned.
“How’s my little snow bunny?”
Mandy jerked her head up, focusing on her beautiful boyfriend. He had a knit cap pulled over his ears – and the reddish tint to his cheeks made his handsome face so appealing it was almost criminal. “I’m good,” Mandy said. “Your brother just got shot down by Emma, though.”
James glanced over his shoulder. “What do you want me to do about it?”
“Did I say you have to do anything?”
“No,” James said. “Let’s just say I know that look on your face. You’re about to meddle.”
“That’s an ugly thing to say.”
James leaned his head down, brushing his cold nose against Mandy’s. “What’s in it for me?”
“Oh, you two are so cute I could just puke,” Heidi said, nudging Mandy with her hips. “Can you hand me one of those bags?”
Mandy rolled her eyes, grabbing three bags and shoving them in Heidi’s direction. She wanted a few minutes to manipulate James to her way of thinking.
“What do you want?”
“Is this a trick?” James asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Nope. It’s a genuine offer.”
James tilted his head to the side,
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