Ryland Read Free Page A

deal with your temper.”
    Ryland turned, went into his office, and
slammed the door. When Alistair turned around the doors to the elevator were
closing and Bronwyn was gone. He snatched up the phone and barked for someone
to stop her when she got there. “And the first person who pulls a gun on her
will be unemployed before they put it back in their holster.” He looked at his
mom when he hung up. “There are days when I wish I had gone into business for
myself.”
    “No, you don’t. Go down and take the
girl to lunch. She said she’d been here since around eight-thirty. It’s past
one now. She’s probably starving. I’ll meet you both at the deli across the
street in five minutes.”
    He nodded, went to the other elevator,
and pressed the button to go down and try to clean up this mess. Alistair
rubbed his head. Ryland needed help and he needed to have something go right
for a change. When the door opened, she was standing there waiting. When she
tried to hand him her badge he took her arm and led her from the building.
    The deli was busy, but he had a table
reserved for lunch and just asked to have two people added. He was shown his
table a few minutes later. Bronwyn sat, but she refused to order. So he ordered
for her.
    “This is my treat if that’s what—”
    “You think I give a damn if it’s your
treat or not?” She looked around when he did and lowered her voice. “You said
it would be fine. You said I’d work for you and no one would give me any
problems. Having a gun pointed at me was a big fucking problem for me.”
    He nodded and felt his mouth twitch. He
had no idea why he thought it was funny, but he was having a hard time not
laughing. Besides, he was reasonably sure she’d knock him on his ass if he did
laugh. His mom showed up before he could speak.
    “You won’t have any more problems with
Ryland. I had a word with him and—”
    “If you think I’m going back to that
bedlam then you’re nuttier than I am. In the event it escaped your notice, I
quit. And I won’t be going back there for any amount of money.”
    Alistair liked this girl and knew that
if she didn’t work for him she’d have to go back to working where she’d gotten
into trouble in the first place. And shot. He shook his head and took her hand
when she started to stand.
    “You signed a contract with me. You
either work for me where I say or you go back to where I first found you or to
jail.” She paled and glanced at his mom. “No one knows anything that you and I
have talked about and I’ll keep it that way provided you do as you said you
would.”
    “That’s blackmail and makes you no
different that the man who got me here in the first place.”
    That hurt, hurt more than he could
imagine it would have, but he shook his head. “It’s business. You signed the
contract and I get what I want.” Alistair didn’t look at his mom, knowing she’d
be mad at him. “What’s it going to be?”
    She didn’t answer as their food was
delivered. She looked at the food in front of her and didn’t say a word. Then
she nodded. He could tell that she wanted to say more, much more, but she
picked up her bag again and stood. “I’ll work and you’ll get your money even if
I have to sell myself on the side to get it to you.” She looked at his mom. “You
did a bang up job on raising this one. You must be proud.”
    As she stormed out of the restaurant he
nearly stood up to go after her to make her apologize to his mom. His mom stood
up too and told him to sit down. He started to glare at her when he thought
better of it. “She had no right to speak to you that way.” He decided he was
going to hunt her down and tell her all deals were off when his mom spoke.
    “I’ve never been so embarrassed in all
my life.” He reached for her hand when she slapped him away. “You and your
brother should be beaten and then beaten again for good measure. The nerve of
the two of you fighting over her like a bone. You should be