Fire Rising (Dark Kings) Read Free Page A

bruise,” Sammi remarked.
    Lily laughed as she moved her sweater over it. “I’m as clumsy as they come. A laundry basket filled high and shoes in the middle of the floor, and I’m a catastrophe waiting to happen.”
    “You should get along with Jane famously.” Sammi made a mental note not to have anything breakable around when Lily and Jane were together.
    Lily looked Sammi up and down, a frown marring her forehead. “You need to sit. Shall I help you inside?”
    “I think I’ll be okay, but I will walk with you.”
    They had only gone a few steps when Lily asked, “How do you know I would be a good fit to interact with people?”
    “It’s a gift I’ve always had. I can look at a person and just know. I used to run a pub, and I learned quickly that only certain kinds of people could work there and be successful. People like you.”
    Lily smiled as she looked at the ground.
    When she didn’t say anything, Sammi decided to push her a little. “What kind of job is it you’ll be interviewing for?”
    “Oh, it’s nothing too important. It’s for the gift shop.”
    “So you would be selling the Dreagan whisky to tourists?”
    “I would.”
    “It’s perfect for you. Be confident when you go in. And remember, it is an important job, because it’ll be yours.”
    Lily’s smile widened, making the charming girl into a real beauty. She wore very little makeup and her clothes were too big and very drab.
    Sammi, who had never had a close girlfriend, suddenly wanted to go shopping with Lily and outfit her with proper attire. Something bright and bold to complement her coloring. It must have been all the weeks hiding from the Mob that was messing with her mind.
    It was a good thing they came to the door of the shop before Sammi did something really stupid and offer to bring Lily shopping, which might truly offend the woman. Lily might enjoy dressing as a sixty-year-old. Some women were just like that.
    Despite her attire, Lily was a striking beauty with her black hair, black eyes, and mocha skin. The same couldn’t be said for her, but Sammi had learned to work with her stubborn hair and pale complexion early in life, thanks to her mother.
    As soon as they entered the shop, Sammi looked around at the shelves that covered the walls and were filled with bottles of Dreagan whisky.
    Some of the glass bottles where in small, colored casks denoting an added flavor in the whisky, while others were in the tall, rounded tins. There were other bottles that where about half the size, and still others that looked like some kind of cream liquor.
    At the far back wall was shelving enclosed in glass with the bottles proudly displayed.
    “Those would be the fifty-year-old scotches, and ones that are even older. They’re highly prized by collectors, and highly priced as well,” Lily said.
    A woman with long, brunette hair with the top half pulled away from her face came around the counter and smiled at Lily. “You know your whisky.”
    Lily turned to the woman and straightened her shoulders. “I’d like to think I do. I was called in for the interview.”
    “Ah,” the woman said as she glanced behind her to the clipboard. “You must be Lilliana Ross.”
    “Lily, please,” she said and held out her hand.
    The woman took it and smiled. “I’m Cassie. Why don’t we go to the back and talk?”
    Sammi watched the two Americans interact and recognized by Cassie’s mannerisms that she liked Lily. If Sammi was a betting person, she’d wager a hefty sum that Lily walked out with the job.
    “Of course,” Lily said.
    Cassie’s dark eyes lifted to Sammi. “Can I help you with anything?”
    “Actually, I hope you can. I’m looking for Jane.”
    “Jane?” Cassie repeated, some of the spark gone from her eyes.
    Sammi wasn’t offended. Jane had mentioned how close everyone was at Dreagan, and now that she thought of it, she recalled Jane mentioning a Cassie.
    “I’m Sammi Miller, Ja—”
    “Jane’s half-sister,”