Read Online The Temptation of Laura by Rachel Brimble - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Brimble
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come with a miracle.
His sharp rap at the door snapped her gaze to Bette. She stirred but didn’t wake. Loath to disturb her but knowing the doctor had a job to do, Laura stroked her hand over Bette’s forehead.
“Bette? The doctor’s here.”
“Mmm?”
“The doctor. I’m just going to let him in. He’ll want to talk to you.”
Bette’s eyes slowly opened and her gaze dazed. “Then let him in.”
She squeezed Bette’s hand, then made for the door and yanked it open.
“Dr. Penders, am I glad . . .” Laura’s smile dissolved when she saw who stood behind the doctor, his snidey mouth stretched in a wide grin. “What are you doing here?”
Malcolm Baxter leaned around the doctor, his center-parted, oil-slicked hair making Laura grimace. He smiled, revealing the gap in his upper front teeth. “I saw the doc and thought I’d come and pay Bette a visit.”
Not wanting to cause a ruckus in front of the doctor, Laura fought the urge to smack him in the face. “Well, wasn’t that nice of you.” She turned to the doctor. “Why don’t you go on through? She’s in the living room.”
Dr. Penders removed his black top hat and cast a glance over his shoulder, his mouth twisted with distaste beneath tidy gray whiskers. “I told Mr. Baxter Bette wasn’t up for visitors, but he doesn’t seem to understand basic English.”
Laura smiled. “Then I’ll keep him here until he does.”
The kindly doctor stepped inside.
As soon as she heard the doctor jovially greet Bette, Laura crossed her arms and fixed Malcolm with a glare. “Go away.”
He raised his hands. “Is that any way to talk to a friend concerned for Bette?”
She gave an inelegant snort. “Friend? I don’t think so. Get out of here before I’m forced to do something to wipe that smile off your face. You don’t scare me, Malcolm. Now, go.”
She moved to shut the door, but he stuck his foot in the way. His wolverine smile vanished and his eyes flashed cold with determination. “You need to listen to me before things get nasty.”
Anger simmered hot and heavy in her belly. She fisted her hands on her hips and kicked his foot away. “I don’t need to listen to anybody. Now, why don’t you say what you came here to say and disappear? My best friend in the whole world is in there struggling for her next breath. I don’t have time for your carrying on.”
“I hear you’ve been sniffing around the theater for work.”
Damn it. Who the hell had been talking to Malcolm about her? She tilted her chin. “And?”
“If you were looking for more up-market clientele, you should have told me first.”
She scowled. “I don’t have to tell you anything. I don’t work for you and never will.”
“Then maybe it’s time you moved on. Here and abouts is my patch. Where my ladies work. I can’t have you giving the impression it’s one rule for you and not the rest. You’re messing with my authority, and my patience has run out. You need to make a decision, or I can’t be held responsible for what happens next.”
“Are you threatening me?” Laura tightened her jaw. “You think I don’t know it was you who got the other girls messing with your authority thrown out of their homes? Had their belongings stolen or tossed onto the street?”
“Well, if you know that, pretty Laura, why do you think the same hasn’t happened to you and Bette so far?”
Her heart thundered as she glared at the dog turd standing in front of her. “You really think we’ll eventually come around and give you a cut of whatever we earn?” She shook her head. “Over my dead body.”
He laughed. “Don’t you mean Bette’s?”
Anger roared through her and she raised her hand to slap the damn know-it-all smirk from his ugly face. He caught her wrist in a vice-like grip and held it—hard. Her pulse beat under his palm.
“You listen to me.” His eyes were cold with malice and his cheeks red. “I’m giving you one month to either get out of here or
His sharp rap at the door snapped her gaze to Bette. She stirred but didn’t wake. Loath to disturb her but knowing the doctor had a job to do, Laura stroked her hand over Bette’s forehead.
“Bette? The doctor’s here.”
“Mmm?”
“The doctor. I’m just going to let him in. He’ll want to talk to you.”
Bette’s eyes slowly opened and her gaze dazed. “Then let him in.”
She squeezed Bette’s hand, then made for the door and yanked it open.
“Dr. Penders, am I glad . . .” Laura’s smile dissolved when she saw who stood behind the doctor, his snidey mouth stretched in a wide grin. “What are you doing here?”
Malcolm Baxter leaned around the doctor, his center-parted, oil-slicked hair making Laura grimace. He smiled, revealing the gap in his upper front teeth. “I saw the doc and thought I’d come and pay Bette a visit.”
Not wanting to cause a ruckus in front of the doctor, Laura fought the urge to smack him in the face. “Well, wasn’t that nice of you.” She turned to the doctor. “Why don’t you go on through? She’s in the living room.”
Dr. Penders removed his black top hat and cast a glance over his shoulder, his mouth twisted with distaste beneath tidy gray whiskers. “I told Mr. Baxter Bette wasn’t up for visitors, but he doesn’t seem to understand basic English.”
Laura smiled. “Then I’ll keep him here until he does.”
The kindly doctor stepped inside.
As soon as she heard the doctor jovially greet Bette, Laura crossed her arms and fixed Malcolm with a glare. “Go away.”
He raised his hands. “Is that any way to talk to a friend concerned for Bette?”
She gave an inelegant snort. “Friend? I don’t think so. Get out of here before I’m forced to do something to wipe that smile off your face. You don’t scare me, Malcolm. Now, go.”
She moved to shut the door, but he stuck his foot in the way. His wolverine smile vanished and his eyes flashed cold with determination. “You need to listen to me before things get nasty.”
Anger simmered hot and heavy in her belly. She fisted her hands on her hips and kicked his foot away. “I don’t need to listen to anybody. Now, why don’t you say what you came here to say and disappear? My best friend in the whole world is in there struggling for her next breath. I don’t have time for your carrying on.”
“I hear you’ve been sniffing around the theater for work.”
Damn it. Who the hell had been talking to Malcolm about her? She tilted her chin. “And?”
“If you were looking for more up-market clientele, you should have told me first.”
She scowled. “I don’t have to tell you anything. I don’t work for you and never will.”
“Then maybe it’s time you moved on. Here and abouts is my patch. Where my ladies work. I can’t have you giving the impression it’s one rule for you and not the rest. You’re messing with my authority, and my patience has run out. You need to make a decision, or I can’t be held responsible for what happens next.”
“Are you threatening me?” Laura tightened her jaw. “You think I don’t know it was you who got the other girls messing with your authority thrown out of their homes? Had their belongings stolen or tossed onto the street?”
“Well, if you know that, pretty Laura, why do you think the same hasn’t happened to you and Bette so far?”
Her heart thundered as she glared at the dog turd standing in front of her. “You really think we’ll eventually come around and give you a cut of whatever we earn?” She shook her head. “Over my dead body.”
He laughed. “Don’t you mean Bette’s?”
Anger roared through her and she raised her hand to slap the damn know-it-all smirk from his ugly face. He caught her wrist in a vice-like grip and held it—hard. Her pulse beat under his palm.
“You listen to me.” His eyes were cold with malice and his cheeks red. “I’m giving you one month to either get out of here or
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