Poison Read Free Page A

looked to his brother, brows drawn together. “Why would you do that?”
    John sent Cassie a chilly look and said to his brother, “Let’s go into my office.”
    “I’ll talk to you later,” Luke said to Cassie. “We should get together and catch up.”
    Cassie smiled brightly, ignoring John’s angry scowl. “That would be nice.”
    What would John tell him? Cassie took Luke’s cheerful demeanor toward her to mean that he knew nothing of the events of a decade ago. He would have no idea just how close she’d been to his younger brother. While she and Luke had been casual friends in high school, there had never been anything strained or important about their relationship. What Luke had never guessed was that he’d inadvertently introduced her to his younger brother, who she’d had a strained and much too important relationship with. That was of course, before she’d betrayed him.
    ****
    “What was that about out there?” Luke asked once they were alone in the office.
    “Nothing. I just don’t like old friends working for me.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “I’m busy. What did you want?”
    “What do I want? I have to have an appointment to stop by now?”
    “Not as long as you mind your own business. And don’t even think of trying to hit on her.”
    John felt like a shithead when Luke flinched. Like Luke ever came onto women these days, not since his pregnant wife had died in a car wreck. John cursed under his breath. Damn Cassie. Having her around was making him be a prick to his own brother.
    “I wasn’t trying to hit on her. I was trying to figure out why she worked for you and why you hadn’t mentioned it to me. So why are you so bent out of shape over my talking to her?”
    “I’m not. I just don’t like her.”
    “Why would you dislike her?”
    “I have to get back to work.” Turning his back to his brother, John moved behind his desk.
    Luke’s silence spoke volumes. Finally he said, “You do realize you’re being an asshole don’t you?”
    John let out a long breath. “She’s just annoying as hell.”
    “Cassie looks like hell. It took me a moment to place who she is. Any idea why she looks like that?”
    “No. I don’t even know why she works here.”
    A fact that stuck in John’s gut and it was damn time he found out why. It made no sense. Any of it. John glanced at his watch. Harry was gone tonight. Maybe tomorrow it was time to revisit the reason Cassie Reeves worked for them.

Chapter Two
    Cassie came into work early and was surprised to see the lights on under Harry’s door and to hear the quiet murmur of voices. Two voices. As in John’s and Harry’s voices. She plunked down in her chair, frowning at the closed door. Something was up.
    She was sure by the early hour, and that no one else was there, that John was using this time to try and get her fired. She tapped her fingers against her desk for several moments, before she finally pushed back her chair and stood. She was not going to let John get her fired. She straightened her back and held her head up; there was no use in letting either of them see how desperate she was. John would be sure to pounce on that. Cassie stomped over to Harry’s door and opened it before they could answer her knock.
    John turned at her entrance, his mouth tightened in dismay. Harry looked up at her, his face carefully blank. Cassie shut the door behind her.
    She looked directly at John. “I need this job.”
    “There are dozens of other jobs out there, you don’t need this one.”
    “Yes I do.” She turned to Harry. “Please Harry, you know why I need to work here.”
    John glared at her. “What is so damn important about you being here?”
    Harry stood up, his unexpected movements silencing Cassie’s sarcastic retort. “Here’s the thing, Cassie, John says he’ll quit if you stay. I don’t want that. So now I’m asking you to explain to him why you have to be here.”
    Cassie’s mouth dropped open. She hadn’t expected John to