Read Online Flawed Perfection (An Eve Sumptor Novel) by Jourdyn Kelly - Free Book Online Page A

the law, Mr. Branson. No warrant is necessary.” A man in a dark suit stepped inside, and stood in front of Branson.
    He—seemingly appearing from thin air—startled Lainey who had been enjoying the showdown between Branson and Eve. She recognized his face, but couldn’t place it with a name.
    “Well, then I am forbidding her to inspect my place.” Branson crossed his arms, defiantly, clearly thinking that was the end of the conversation.
    Lainey snickered. The man obviously did not know Eve.
    “Mr. Branson, you have lost millions of dollars of my client’s merchandise.”
    Ah, so that’s who he is. Eve’s lawyer. Lainey still couldn’t think of his name.
    “I would say she has every right to be here and look around, don’t you? Unless you’d rather make this a messy legal battle?”
    Eve chuckled as Branson sputtered. “Don’t you just love lawyers?” Once again, she walked past Branson, motioning for Lainey to follow her, and began rummaging.
    “You asked your lawyer to be here?”
    Eve flipped through paintings that were leaned, haphazardly, against the wall, and glanced at Lainey.
    “When that amount of money is involved, lawyers usually are, too. But, to answer your question, no, I didn’t ask Ian to be here. He insisted.”
    “What are we looking for?”
    “Nothing.” Eve grinned mischievously. “I just want to rattle Branson. And, see what I’m dealing with.”
    “Eve! You are so naughty!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Lainey knew it was the wrong choice. She saw Eve’s eyes flash, and Lainey felt the heat build inside herself. Damn it.
    “ It will always be there, Lainey. ” Eve whispered. “ It was too deep, too intense to just disappear. ” She touched a fingertip to Lainey’s lips, before dropping her hand and going back to the paintings.
    Lainey blew out her breath, fluffing out her bangs. She knew nothing would happen between her and Eve again. But, the hell if she wasn’t going to fantasize—just a bit.
    Eve saw more paintings through a door that was slightly ajar, so she pushed it open and went in. Ian was keeping Branson busy in the front office, so Eve was going to take liberties with her exploration.
    “Should we be in here?”
    Eve shrugged in answer to Lainey’s question. She didn’t care if she couldn’t be in here. As far as she was concerned, Branson owed her. Eve was planning her takeover of Branson’s delivery service when she saw them.
    “Son of a bitch!”
    “Eve?”
    “That fucking asshole!”
    “Eve! What is … oh my God! Is that …?”
    “Mine? Yes.”
    “But, why would he tell you it was missing? And, where are the rest?”
    “Let’s go find out.”
    Eve’s deliberate stride was full of rage—and, quite sexy if Lainey took time to think about it—as she made her way to Branson.
    “What the fuck are you trying to pull, Mr. Branson?”
    “Excuse me?”
    He looked scared, and guilty as shit, Eve thought.
    “Why do you have one of my paintings hidden away here?”
    Ian instantly perked up.
    “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
    “Bullshit! Don’t fucking lie to me!” Eve closed the distance between them, and lowered her voice. “You don’t want to know what happened to the last person that lied to me.”
    She thought of Meredith. Of course, Eve didn’t have anything to do with Meredith’s death, but had she been honest with Eve and let Eve help her, Meredith would be alive today.
    Lainey stepped up, and placed her hand on Eve’s arm, pulling her back. She understood how upset Eve was, but she didn’t want Eve to think about the terrible things that happened.
    “Mr. Branson,” Lainey said amicably, even though she did not have one amiable bone in her body for this so-called man. “Eve and I saw one of her paintings in an office back there.”
    “Do you always take it upon yourself to go into places you’re not welcome?”
    Lainey’s hand tightened on Eve’s arm when she, again, stepped toward Branson.
    Ian