Read Online Sweet Seduction Sabotage by Nicola Claire - Free Book Online

partners, Finn and Drew, and his dad."
    "Bet there's a whole lot of legalese going on there," Wayne threw in from across the room.
    "Oh, I don't know," Liz, Dominic's mother, said. "Finn and Drew have a way of steering things back to much more pleasant topics."
    "What sort of topics?" Kelly said, a little too forcefully.
    "The sort of topics that would fit in here, I dare say," she replied with a chuckle, and then took a sip of her mocktail drink.
    My eyes stayed on Kelly's, while the conversation continued.
    "I thought Nick would have joined him, if that's Dom's bachelor party," Abi offered.
    "That's not his bachelor party," Liz returned. "I believe that was spent out on the town."
    "And Nick's on a case," Eva added, while Kelly picked at a thread on her top. "Something big going down that I'm not supposed to know about."
    "But you do, don't you, chickie?" Edward pushed.
    "Naturally. He talks in his sleep."
    "Oooh," Wayne exclaimed excitedly. "What does the hot and sexy private investigator say when he's in dreamland? Bet it's downright dirty."
    Eva smirked, but I couldn't stop watching Kelly. This sort of convo would be right up her alley. Hell, I was surprised she hadn't made a few suggestions of exactly what Nick would have said in his sleep.
    "Now, that would be telling," Eva drawled. Then leaned forward conspiratorially and added, "But I will mention this." Everyone stilled, held their breaths and looked toward the cowgirl.
    Everyone except Kelly, who was staring off into space.
    My heart clenched. I'd hoped I was wrong. That I wasn't seeing what I thought I was seeing. But I was.
    "Declan King has been spotted in the city, radar has him stirring up shit."
    There were appropriate gasps and shocked murmurs, and Abi wrapped an arm around Katie giving her a hug, at the news Auckland's premier drug lord was back in town and no doubt about to cause trouble. It was scary stuff. Declan King had shot at Nick and Abi, he'd tried to kill Jason and Katie, making Dom's sister throw a knife in defence. He'd even made himself known when I was dealing with my loser ex, Brett. He was an evil man, a blight on society. And Nick dealing with anything to do with the vile creep was not good news.
    But Kelly didn't even blink.
    My stomach rolled, I rubbed my huge belly, and let out an unladylike burp.
    "I think I have to pee," I announced quietly and stood - well, struggled - from my chair. Almost four more months of this? Argh!
    "You need a hand, Genny-Benny?" Mum asked.
    "Kelly's closest," I declared. "She can hold my hand."
    I walked up to my best friend and had to poke her shoulder to get her attention. She looked up stunned for a second, blinked a few times, and then noticed that everyone was watching.
    "What?" she said, her voice sounding so lost.
    I fought the tears that threatened to deluge any moment and said, "Come with me for a sec?"
    "Sure," she answered automatically and rose from her seat to follow me from the room.
    I headed to the main bathroom downstairs. No way I could make it up to our ensuite and then back down again. But somewhere along the hallway that led to the loo I realised I'd lost Kelly. I stopped and turned around, finding her staring at the wall. Not the artwork that hung there, but the wall itself.
    What the...?
    I walked back silently and stood at her side. She didn't even acknowledge me at first.
    Then, "Ever wondered where you're going in life?"
    Oh, fuck.
    "Not really," I said softly, scared she'd clam up. "I kinda just take it one day at time now."
    She smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.
    "Good philosophy." Huh? Kelly didn't use words like philosophy. She used words like 'dude' and 'fan-fucking-tastic' and 'abso-fucking-lutely', but not philosophy.
    I waited. She stared at the wall. Then she reached out and placed her hand against it, as though trying to touch a memory, a moment out of time.
    "What's going on, Kels?" I couldn't help it. I had to ask. It was killing me seeing Kelly like this.
    Seeing her like