Read Online Harmony 01 After Dark by Jayne Castle - Free Book Online Page A

afraid that if you thought I might be in danger, you'd fire me."
    "That's exactly what I'm going to do. It's pretty clear now that I miscalculated. You weren't involved in this until I involved you."
    "You think you can un-involve me be reneging on our contract? Is that it?"
    "I want you out of this, Lydia."
    He was prepared for the stubborn anger that blazed in her face. What surprised him was the flash of something else. Desperation?
    "Even if you're right, it's too late," she said quickly. I've talked to some dealers. The word is out that I'm looking for the cabinet."
    "Tomorrow morning you can put the word out that your new client fired you and you are no longer looking for his heirloom."
    "What makes you think that will work? The word is already out in the antiquities community. I can't cancel it just like that. If someone knows anything about the cabinet, I'll be contacted, whether or not you fire me."
    "Tell your contacts to get in touch with me."
    "The ones who are most likely to know anything useful won't want to talk directly to you." She leaned forward, determination vibrating around her in an almost palpable energy field. "I know this crowd. They trust me, but they don't trust outsiders. You need me, London."
    "Not badly enough to put you at risk."
    "You didn't mind putting me at risk when you thought I might be in cahoots with Chester."
    "That was different," he muttered.
    "It was a very small ghost."
    "Even the weak ones can cause a very unpleasant reaction. They can freeze you, knock you unconscious for as long as fifteen or twenty minutes."
    "Fainting or temporary paralysis are common, transient side effects of direct contact with a weak UDEM," she said primly. "Permanent damage is rare."
    "You sound like you're quoting from a textbook or an emergency room pamphlet. Do you know what it really feels like?"
    "Yes." Her eyes were cool. "I know what it really feels like. It feels like all of your psychic senses have been rezzed to the breaking point. Everything is too bright, too hot, too cold, too dark, too loud. Sensation overwhelms you and you pass out. Unless, of course, you're a very strong ghost-hunter, in which case I understand you have some limited immunity."
    He drew a deep breath. "Okay, so you do know what it feels like."
    "Let's get something straight here. I spent most of the
    past four years of my working life in the Dead City . No para-archaeologist, regardless of how effective the team's hunters are, can spend that much time in the field without brushing up against a few small ghosts."
    He was not going to get far with logic and reason, he realized. Might as well cut to the chase. "You don't seem to get the picture here. Miss Smith. I'm firing you."
    "You're the one who doesn't get it, Mr. London. You can't fire me. We've got a contract."
    "Don't worry. I'll compensate you for your time."
    "There's more than money involved now. If what you say is true, it's possible that poor Chester was killed because of your cabinet—" She broke off abruptly.
    He realized she was looking at someone who was approaching the table.
    "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, Lydia. Saw you from across the room and had to say hello."
    The voice was easy, refined, masculine. The kind of voice that projected well, Emmett thought. The voice of a man accustomed to the lecture hall. An educated voice.
    "Hello, Ryan." Lydia forced a chilly smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it? This is Emmett London. Emmett, this is Professor Ryan Kelso. He's head of the Department of Para-archaeology at the university." She paused delicately. "A former colleague."
    And formerly something more than a colleague, Emmett thought. He didn't consider himself the intuitive type, but even he couldn't miss the undercurrents swirling around the small table. A disturbing tendril of possessiveness uncoiled deep inside him. Probably not a good thing. He could have done without the added complications.
    He took his time getting to his feet, absorbing the