Page 24 of Lawbreaker

“I warned him...”

She moved a step closer. “Don’t do anything because of me,” she said softly, meeting his black eyes. “I minored in art history in college. I don’t want to be the cause of priceless paintings being destroyed. I’ll just keep away from him. Honest.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Donalson won’t have that protection any longer. I not only got Tom to promise them to me, we set a price and I had an attorney downstairs go get his notary seal and notarize it for me and two witnesses to sign it. I wired half the money to his account, with the rest on delivery. All tied up with a bow. So Donalson is now fair game.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Listen, Lita used to do this incredible toss by jumping off the ropes, wrapping her legs around a wrestler’s neck and throwing him...!”

“I don’t have ropes, you can’t jump in that dress and Donalson would get slime all over you.”

She laughed. “Excuses, excuses.”

He drew in a long sigh and smiled at her. She was a breath of spring in his lonely life. If only she was older, less honest, less...everything.

“I’ve rented horses for tomorrow,” he said. “I know some pretty trails around the property. Not all the guests ride, but several do. Want to come?”

“I’d love to, but it depends on Stasia. I don’t think she’ll be able to, and I did come to keep her company and look after her. I promised my brother. He said to keep my cell phone where I could get to it, and not let her go anywhere alone.” Her face became solemn. “He said that James man who almost killed him is hopping mad and looking for revenge, that Stasia was a soft target and that’s the kind of attack that would come, if there was one.” Her eyes were cold. “He said that was the kind of man James really was. Big with a gun in his hand. An ostrich unarmed.”

“The world’s full of those,” Tony told her.

She nodded. She looked at him with helpless appreciation. His face was leonine, broad and tanned, with a chiseled mouth and long nose and square jaw. His hair was black as night and wavy, with a few silver threads. There were some small scars on his face. He was so handsome that he made her senses come alive. Just standing close to him made her hungry for something she didn’t really understand.

“Stop that,” he muttered.

Her pale blue eyes widened, and she gaped at him. “I beg your pardon?”

His eyes narrowed. He bent just enough that his eyes pierced straight into hers. “I don’t start things I can’t finish,” he said, emphasizing every word. “And don’t pretend that you don’t know exactly what I mean.”

Her heart stopped and then ran away. She stepped back. Her eyes were now throwing sparks at him. “I was not... I didn’t... I never have...!” She grasped for the right words to express her frustration.

“I know you never have,” he said flatly. “But if you plan to, don’t look in my direction. Maybe nobody told you, but I keep a mistress. I don’t need any imported talent. Capisce?” he added in a tone that dripped icicles.

Her lips trembled. It embarrassed her that he saw through her so easily. There she stood, quivering with anger and embarrassment and rage and no way to express it. Her hands clenched at her sides.

“Come on,” he said imperturbably, pausing to pat Rudolf on the head. “I’ll walk you up, in case Donalson’s still around.”

She would almost rather face Donalson than have this conceited man go anywhere with her. But she was intimidated by Donalson, and she couldn’t admit it, or turn down Tony’s offer.

She brushed past him and opened the door.

Donalson was at the drink table. He spotted her and took a step in her direction until he saw Tony come out after her.

Tony saw that. He looked at the man and smiled. The smile sent Donalson to a nearby whiskey bottle.

Odalie noticed it and stifled a laugh.

He heard it. “He’s a piece of work,” he muttered.

She went up the staircase ahead of him, still bubbling with indignation complicated by her amusement at Donalson.

“Concrete overshoes...” she muttered to herself.

“Concrete galoshes,” he corrected. “If you plan to off somebody, at least learn the terminology.”

“Snob,” she said under her breath.

“Amateur,” he muttered back.

She went ahead of him to her room, opened the door and turned to him. “Thank you for saving me. I think.” She didn’t look at him.