Heart of Fire by Doranna Durgin

Author:Doranna Durgin [Durgin, Doranna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adventure, allure, bargain, beguiling, bound, champion, desert, divine, durgin, erotic, evil, fantasy, fate, fiery, heart, hot, inflame, justice, killer, murder, mystery, passion, rapist, revenge, sensual, serial, sex, steamy, sultry, temptation, thriller, vengeance, warrior, angel, action, demons, paranormal, love, romance
ISBN: 9781611386035
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2016-03-08T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

When Paul emerged from the little alcove, he discovered Leyana gone, her drink untouched. George watched him from the bar with narrowed eyes and Aimes, alone at the table, greeted him with annoyance.

“Where the hell did you go?” Aimes asked as Paul scooped the waiting beer off the bar and took a seat at the table, glancing around for Marino.

Paul stopped the beer on its way to his mouth. “Nowhere.” He gestured at the phone alcove, clearly visible beyond the end of the bar. “I was right there.”

Aimes set his drink down a little too hard. “The hell you were. Besides, I told you —”

“And I told you,” Paul said, putting that line down hard in the sand, “who she talks to isn’t up to me. She wanted a word; I gave her a word. Then she left. And we were right beside the phone the whole time.”

Aimes growled, but backed off. “Trick of the light, maybe.” But the look he threw Paul remained hard and accusing. “It was hella dark in that corner.”

Trick of the light. Of course. Just as in the alley; just as beside the boarded-up discount store.

Not that it made any more sense now than it had then.

“Anyway,” Aimes said, and slapped his hand over the manila envelope sitting in the middle of the table, “You’re gonna want to show a little more respect.”

The threat sliced through Paul, sharper than any knife. But that line in the sand remained. “This is to be a silent partnership. You won’t control the business, and you won’t control me.”

“Read the contract,” Aimes suggested. “Because we can pull out any time. You want to stay in business, you’ll have to keep right on proving that you deserve it.”

Paul grabbed the envelope, sliding the papers out. He quickly scanned past the boilerplate blah blah blah to the details, quickly discovering the clause where Paul could only buy out if Marino and Aimes approved it. And where, meanwhile, they could demand their investment back at any time.

He speared a look at Aimes. “This isn’t what we talked about.”

Aimes shrugged and tossed a pen on the table.

Paul swallowed hard against the tight, helpless anger in his throat, and nearly missed the fact that Aimes had turned his attention to the bar entry, where Leyana tried to exit.

Marino blocked her path.

Her back, bared but for crisscrossing leather straps, displayed stiff offense. Only on second glance did Paul see Marino’s hand on her wrist; only in the reflection of Marino’s rising ire could he discern her low responses to the man’s words.

Leyana twisted her wrist within Marino’s grip, not quite breaking free. Paul started to rise and stopped himself. She went deadly still in a way that sucked the sound and energy from the room.

Marino stiffened and jerked his hand away. She walked past as if he was of no consequence at all, the only hint of distress in that stiff set of her shoulders as she reached for the door.

Marino looked after her with an ugly expression, a curse lingering visibly on his lips.

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