and she
grasped the back of a nearby chair to steady herself. Surely it
couldn’t be. Not, after all these years...
“I just thought
I should warn you, in case Kellen’s in debt and someone is thinking
of using you as leverage.”
That statement
grabbed her attention and swung her thoughts in an entirely
different direction. Maybe it wasn’t the werewolf like she feared,
but something to do with Kellen’s gambling. Cassie gulped. Talk
about out of the frying pan and into the fire!
Fear continued
to writhe in her belly as she contemplated this new scenario.
Pressing her hands to her stomach she swallowed hoping to keep her
lunch in its current resting place. She’d heard about loan sharks
and what they would do if you didn’t pay up. Her skin prickled at
the very idea. Oh God, who did Kellen owe money to and what would
they do to her or him, if he didn’t pay?
This had never
happened before, at least not since the first time she’d paid off
his debts, but that had been when they’d initially got together.
Since then, Kellen kept his gambling associates away from her, only
taking her with him a few times in the early days and it had never
been to anything high stake. He’d assured her he was done with
gambling except for occasional small games at a friend’s home and
that he never mentioned her around the gaming tables, knowing she
wasn’t comfortable with it. Apparently that was no longer the case
or someone had followed him and made the connection...
“Listen Sandy,
I’m sorry to have upset you. Would you like to go home? I can get
someone to cover the rest of your shift...?” The older man looked
at her kindly, his bushy grey brows lowered in concern. A wave of
gratitude washed over her. Mr. Bartlett was so nice to her, hiring
her when she’d had no skills and then with only her recommendation,
taking on Kellen.
She forced a
faint smile. “No, I’ll stay.” Sitting at home, she’d just worry all
the more. It was better to keep busy. Besides, if she saw Kellen
right now, she might be tempted to kill him! Squaring her
shoulders, she tried to look unconcerned. “It might be nothing, but
I’ll talk to Kellen tonight about missing work and see what’s going
on.”
The manager
gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze before opening the door. As
she stepped back into the store, Cassie mentally berated Kellen.
What the hell had he done now?
*****
Chicago,
Illinois, USA...
“Anything else
to report, Swanson?” Leon Aldrich rasped out the words to the
security guard that stood before him.
“I’ve changed
the access codes for the elevator and notified authorized
personnel. The surveillance cameras have also been repositioned
near the parking garage, and I’ve completed the weekly report.”
Swanson set the folder on Aldrich’s desk and then folded his hands
behind his back.
Picking up the
report, Aldrich quickly flipped through it before setting it aside
for closer scrutiny later on. He nodded in approval at Swanson’s
stance; shoulders back, eyes straight ahead, quietly awaiting
instructions. The man was built like a tank—sturdy, all muscle, no
neck—and with his military buzz cut and blank expression, he was
intimidating as hell. Perfect for the job.
Swanson was
former military. His record while in the service was less than
pristine, but the man was effective. He also wasn’t above turning a
blind eye to certain activities if the price was right. Aldrich
could appreciate that in a man; it was a quality he himself
possessed and had used to his advantage throughout his life.
As a matter of
fact, it’d got him where he was today. As executor of the Greyson
estate and the respected lawyer of the late Anthony Greyson, he had
power and wealth; those two combined to open doors that led to the
exalted realms of the socially elite. He’d learned that from
Anthony Greyson. True, society’s blue bloods might not approve
totally, but they didn’t want him as an enemy so they fawned and
simpered
Caris Roane
Black Inc.
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Joe Dever
Morgana Best
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Gore Vidal
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