Read Online Hot on Her Heels by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online

Which would Garth covet most? The shipyards? The oil field? “You want Glory’s Gate,” she said. “It’s been in the family for generations.”
    â€œI’m family.”
    His sisters had grown up there. It was home to them. Well over a thousand acres of prime pasture and cattle. A huge house and all the prestige that went with owning it.
    â€œJed will never risk Glory’s Gate.”
    â€œYou may be right.”
    Garth didn’t sound worried.
    â€œYou think he will?” she asked.
    â€œIt depends on how much he wants to win.”
    â€œHow much do you want to win?”
    â€œYou really want me to answer that?”
    He didn’t have to. She knew. She could feel it. Garth would do anything to settle the score. Lethal and ruthless—a dangerous combination.
    â€œI’m surprised all this talk doesn’t scare off your women,” she said. “Or do they like this side of you?”
    â€œThey don’t see it.”
    â€œBecause they can’t handle it? But it’s who you are.” She picked up her wineglass. “Is that the trick? Don’t let them inside?”
    â€œDo your conquests see the real you?”
    â€œWe weren’t talking about me.”
    â€œWe are now.”
    His gaze was predatory, his expression knowing.She shivered, then did her best to conceal it by shifting in her seat. She knew she could hold her own with him, as long as he didn’t touch her.
    Something happened when she had felt his skin on hers, even through a protective layer of clothes. She didn’t like it and couldn’t explain it. Therefore the only logical solution was to avoid it. Not that Garth was begging for a little one-on-one time. But caution was always smart.
    The CD ended. He got up and walked over to the player concealed in the buffet. He moved stiffly, as if his leg bothered him.
    â€œAre you all right?” she asked before she could stop herself.
    â€œOld war wound,” he said, putting in another CD.
    Not exactly. She remembered the scars she’d seen and that both his legs had been broken while he’d been held hostage all those months.
    â€œDid you have to have surgery on your legs after you and Nick escaped?”
    â€œSome. The breaks had started to heal badly, so they re-broke my legs and set them.”
    â€œWhat did they do for the knife wounds?”
    â€œTreated the ones that were infected and left the others alone to heal.”
    â€œA big price to pay for oil.”
    â€œNick would tell you it was the price we paid for being wrong.” He returned to the table and sat across from her. “Did Izzy tell you what happened?”
    â€œSome,” she said. Izzy had told her pretty much everything but she wanted to hear Garth tell the story.
    â€œWe knew there was oil in the jungle, but it was nearly impossible to extract. That’s always the bitch of it. People think it’s hard to find, but it’s a whole lot harder to get it out of the ground. Nick had some ideas on new ways we could drill.”
    â€œDid it involve raping and pillaging?”
    Garth grinned. “Not my style. I prefer a nice, quiet seduction.”
    Her throat seemed to close in a little. “Back to the story, please.”
    â€œYou’re the one who changed the subject.”
    â€œI won’t do it again.”
    For a second, she thought he might continue to challenge her. Instead he started talking.
    â€œThe land was owned by a guy named Francisco. He was the head of the village and while he told his people and family he would never negotiate with us, he really wanted the money. He had a fair idea of the value and pushed for every penny. Local legend said not to take the oil, but Francisco dismissed that as bull and cashed the check. We started work. A few weeks later, we realized we were poisoning the water. By then it was too late—three people had died.”
    â€œDoes that bother you?” she