Read Online The Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell - Free Book Online

nothing.
    â€œYou box?” Luca asked.
    â€œUsed to. College,” Pete said. Well, there was another thing I didn’t know.
    Luca squinted. “Two twenty?”
    â€œThereabouts.”
    Luca turned to me then.
    â€œBring him down to the club sometime, Gina. We’ll fit him up.”
    â€œYeah, sure,” I said. “But in the meantime, can you do something about this popsicle melting back here?”
    â€œI got this, Gina,” said Sammy. “You drive Luca’s car back to Hamilton. We’ll take it from here.”
    Relief ! I felt relief. “Umm…what are you going to do?”
    Sammy looked at me quizzically. “You really want to know?”
    â€œNo!” I yelped, hitting my forehead with a palm. “Nope. Don’t tell me. I’m outta here. Say hi to Aunt Miriam.”
    â€œSee you at dinner tomorrow. Bring the boyfriend.”
    â€œSure,” I tossed back. To Pete, I whispered, “Get in the car. And don’t look back.”
    Pete jumped into the car. It was a sporty Japanese thing. The keys were in the ignition. He revved her up and booted it.
    â€œSure glad that’s over.” He sighed. “I’ll turn around at the next exit.”
    â€œUmm…nope. Can’t do that. We still have to go to Buffalo.”
    â€œWhat?”
    My turn to suck in air. “It’s about the stones.”
    Pete glared at me. “What about the stones?”
    â€œWell…you may have been wondering what became of them.”
    Silence.
    â€œI thought Joey got them when those goons attacked us in Phoenix. Weren’t they in your shoes?”
    â€œEm…” I hesitated. “Not exactly. Don’t you remember? I was wearing flats.”
    Pete heaved a huge sigh. “Okay. What did you do with them?”
    I told him.
    â€œYou WHAT?”
    â€œIt seemed a sensible thing! I was desperate. And you said nobody was living there right now.”
    Pete hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
    â€œI honestly didn’t think you’d mind,” I said. Okay, so that was a lie.
    He pulled into the fast lane and stomped on the gas.
    â€œI don’t know why I’m doing this,” he grumbled. “Why am I doing this again?”
    It seemed a good idea to remind him. “Last night was amazing, remember? And then again at three am.”
    â€œThat is really low, bringing sex into it,” he said.
    I smiled sweetly. “Not to mention, you’re sort of in this up to your neck. Not that I’d tell the cops on you or anything.”
    â€œOh yeah.” He snorted. “Thanks for that.”
    â€œSorry. But you see, if you hadn’t followed me to the bank machine—”
    â€œI wasn’t following you!”
    â€œâ€”then we never would have gone to Buffalo!”
    â€œOr Phoenix. Or Toronto,” he finished.
    â€œAnd just think of everything you would have missed.” I tried to pout, but I’m not really the pouting type.
    â€œRemind me to call you Mata Hari.”
    â€œIt’s been done,” I said mysteriously.
    We got through the border with no problem at all. Of course, it’s much easier to get through borders without a semi-frozen dead body pretending to be asleep in the backseat.
    Half an hour later we pulled up in front of a stunning century-old home in Amherst. It had a wraparound porch, double front doors and beautiful gables. The thing had to be at least four stories high.
    The flagstone sidewalk led up to the front steps. A well-tended flower garden lined it on both sides. The sort that’s maintained by gardeners, if you know what I mean.
    Pete switched off the engine.
    â€œHoney, we’re home,” he quipped.
    â€œWow,” I said. “Holy Toledo. Are your parents rich or something?”
    Pete shrugged. “Dad is a cardiac surgeon. He’s semi-retired now—uh—Gina, I think we have company.”
    I snapped my head