A Fortune's Children's Wedding Read Free Page B

someone has a gun pointed at you, it’s wise to go along with the suggestion, son,” said Flynt.
    â€œIt wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order,” snapped Angelica.
    â€œAnd I’m not your son,” said the boy. He adjusted the frames of his thick glasses, his face scrunched in sudden confusion. “Am I, Mama?”
    â€œNo, I’ve never seen the man before in my life.”Romina took a few steps closer. Automatically, Sarah and Casper moved closer, too. They studied Flynt, their faces reflecting suspicion mingled with curiosity and fear.
    â€œWhat I really think,” Romina said confidentially, “is that he’s some kind of undercover cop.”
    Angelica appeared to consider the likelihood of this. “If so, he’s refined the usual police procedure. He seems to be trying to be personable.”
    â€œAm I succeeding?” Flynt asked lightly.
    â€œI’d swear he’s FBI, but the haircut doesn’t jibe.” Romina frowned thoughtfully.
    Flynt watched them, listening, his investigatory instincts on full alert. Something was going on here. Had they actually been interrogated by an FBI agent at some point? If so, why? And if not, why the paranoia?
    Unless they had sent that blackmail note to Brandon and now feared they’d been caught?
    His eyes swept over Angelica Carroll. God, she was a knockout! She had the face of an angel—it seemed altogether fitting that her nickname was Angel. But her faded, snug jeans and ribbed sky blue shirt displayed a curvy, enticing figure that did not conjure up celestial thoughts. Far from it.
    Flynt swallowed hard. She somehow combined a sweet wholesomeness with sexual intensity, an intriguing combination that fascinated him despite his efforts to ignore her allure.
    It occurred to him how very much he did not want Angelica to be the blackmailer, and he tried to admonish himself for his uncharacteristic loss of objectivity.
    â€œWhy don’t you just drop your act and tell us thetruth, Mr. Corrigan?” Angelica’s eyes met his, and he felt another jolt of awareness.
    He quickly looked away from her, uncomfortable with the disturbing sensual power this woman he did not know—and most certainly couldn’t trust—seemed to hold over him.
    â€œAll right, I’ll tell you the truth. There is no reason not to, I have nothing to hide.” He knew he sounded slightly defensive. “I used to be a field agent with the FBI, but I retired from the Bureau five years ago to form my own company. We handle investigations and security for companies, universities and certain private individuals.”
    â€œYou used to be an FBI agent?” Sarah repeated doubtfully. “Why’d you quit?”
    â€œBecause the hours and the pay in the private sector are a lot better than working for the government.” Flynt injected a note of friendly humor in his voice, remembering their neighbor’s antipathy for “government jackals.”
    He watched the Carrolls exchange glances, but could discern nothing from their blank expressions. Which were suddenly so thoroughly blank, the effect had to be calculated. Contrived. Flynt recognized a mask when he saw it, and right now he was seeing four.
    Such total uniformity wasn’t accidental, Flynt decided, it had to have been previously rehearsed. He might have nothing to hide, but these people definitely did.
    The question was what? Their plan to milk their connection to the wealthy Fortunes for all it was worth? They didn’t look like a clan of conniving blackmailers,but he knew from experience that judging on appearance could prove to be extremely unreliable.
    â€œCould you put the gun down now, Angelica?” he asked.
    â€œYou didn’t say please.” Her tone matched the pseudo courtesy of his, word for word.
    â€œBy all means, let’s keep this party polite.” Flynt managed a forced chuckle. “Please, Angelica. You possess a