Free Salvage Her Heart by Shelly Pratt Page A

go wild, disbelief spreading across his worried features.
    ‘No, I did not.’ His voice is shaky and beads of sweat are forming across his forehead. Right now, he really does look like the spineless little creature he is.
    ‘Because, you know that our contract must be maintained at all times, Jonathan.’ My sing-song voice lulls him to relax beneath my grip, which is precisely when I attack.
    Gripping the back of his neck with all my strength, I squeeze as hard as I can until his face starts to turn red.
    ‘I swear, Alex! I swear! I’ve never said a single word.’ He chokes out a tiny sob, clearly humiliated by the circumstances he finds himself in. For maximum effect, I lean in close and whisper in his ear.
    ‘See that you never utter a single word out of those lips of yours or you and your pretty wife will never see your daughter again, do you understand?’
    ‘Yes, yes, I understand.’
    ‘Good!’ I say, releasing him from my death grip. He sits back in his chair, afraid to move or say anything. Instead, he eyes me with loathing, unsure of what my next move will be. ‘Now, where were we? Oh, yes, Evie. So, your thoughts, Jonathan? Has Evie seemed out of sorts to you?’
    ‘Diane spoke to me after your last visit. She mentioned that Evie seemed preoccupied, but she had no idea over what. You have to remember, she knows nothing about any of this. For God’s sake, she thinks her daughter is married to a saint and that she just happens to be the clumsiest person in the world!’ Jonathan is bordering on hysteria now. His anguish is clearly written all over his face.
    ‘Shh, shh. Let’s not ruin our perfectly nice discussion with more nastiness, shall we? You and I both know that your life wouldn’t be worth shit if Diane or Evie found out about the contract, so, let’s see that our little secret remains between the two of us, shall we?’
    A sharp rap at the door alerts me to Harry’s arrival.
    ‘Come in!’
    Jonathan spins around in his chair, alarmed by the sudden intrusion. I have to admit that the sight of Harry is a little imposing, and the effect is not lost on him.
    ‘Harry, so good of you to join us! Come, have a seat.’ He occupies the spare seat next to Jonathan without saying a word. He’s at least six-foot-four—a giant compared to the man cowering next to him. ‘Jonathan, you can leave us now.’ It’s not a request; it’s an order.
    ‘But …’
    ‘You’re dismissed. Larissa will show you the way out.’
    ‘I can find my own way out, thank you very much!’ The wild and crazy look hasn’t left him as he grabs his coat and hat. He’s almost to the door when I stop him in his tracks.
    ‘Jonathan!’ He twirls around to face me, his hair in a shambles from the repeated action of running his fingers through it. It’s completely grey, and with a nervous habit like that, I’m surprised he has any left on his head at all.
    ‘Keep your mouth shut,’ I warn, tapping the side of my nose, a clear indicator that this is one secret he’d better suppress the urge to tell. He offers me a look of distaste before leaving my office without another word. The slam of the door almost makes me fly out of my seat so that I can chase him down the hallway and kick his arse for being such a stubborn, rebellious old fool. Instead, I leave him be so I can get back to more important business with Harry.
    ‘I want you to keep tabs on Evie.’
    ‘I already do that.’
    ‘Round the clock.’
    ‘I see. It’s going to cost you.’
    ‘Money is no object.’
    ‘I’m going to need to hire another guy to cover me for breaks and whatnot.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘You don’t need to know why, but the less people who are stalking my wife the better. I don’t want her to even know you’re there. She already knows you and expects that you will be around from time to time but I don’t want her to know that I’ve stepped up her surveillance.’
    ‘Well that’s going to cost you even more. There’s a