Free Suspicious Minds (Fate #3) by Elizabeth Reyes Page B

be money well spent just to be able
to enjoy the time with her. He told her to look at it more like a sponsorship
and insisted he’d be a perfect gentleman. And while she, of course, had turned
him down politely but firmly, she still had to put up with him showing up
unannounced sometimes at her appointments. He always said he was just in the
area and wanted to check on her and the van.
    That was usually when he’d make his subtle suggestions about his
boat or cabin or even just dinner. She also had to deal with his phone calls,
especially during months she knew she might be short with the payment and she
had to play nice. It was why every now and again she’d agree to go to lunch
with him, especially when he’d conveniently happen to show up around lunch time
and he’d wait for her to be done with her client.
    It just sucked that, until she paid him in full, technically the
van and her business was his. But until she was done paying, he had full access
to her schedule. He knew when and where she’d be on any given day she was
working, but her brothers didn’t need to know all that.
    “It’s not fair, you guys,” she began the speech she’d had planned
for months. Careful not to insult anyone, she was including herself in said
speech. “Our father left that money for all of us. It was clear in his will
that he wanted us to invest the money in our future . While I think being
a firefighter is admirable, I’m pretty sure Dad meant college. Emi is the only
one of us with aspirations of attending college. AJ’s already made his choice,
and it’s the best one for him. He was born to play ball and me . . . Well, dog
grooming isn’t exactly—”
    “Don’t do that.” Isaiah’s face instantly contorted. “I hate it
when you do that, Livi. It takes skill and talent to do what you do. And this
is your business and passion, not just a job. You have a waiting list
for a reason because you’re damn good at it, and your clients recognize that.
Regardless of how long it took you to get formally trained, you deserve to use
this money just as much as Emi does.”
    “And I did,” she reminded him. “I used part of it for the
training. But I can pay for the van on my own,” she insisted. “I have been. When
Emi goes to school, especially one as academically demanding as ESU, she won’t
be able to work full-time to pay for it. And you said yourself Nathan doesn’t stand
a chance of getting past the fire department’s background check unless he gets
those charges expunged from his record. So, technically, his attorney fees are
for his future as well. It’s a win-win, Isaiah. Please don’t be mad.”
    Her brother sighed, and she knew she was home free. She rushed to
him and hugged him. “How much do you still owe him?” he asked after he pulled
away.
    Okay, maybe she wasn’t entirely home free, but she wouldn’t let
him talk her into just paying off the loan. Nathan and Emi needed it so much
more than she did. No way was she telling any of them about Elton’s advances. Nathan’s
temper had gotten him in enough trouble already. She could handle Elton Hollingsworth
on her own.
    ~*~
    Lorenzo
    It had begun to feel like a conspiracy  of sorts. It
was the only thing that could explain the continual barrage of run-ins with
Olivia. At one point, Lorenzo had even begun to question whether Rosie and
Vince had anything to do with it. Was it possible they’d planned this? But how
could they have? You couldn’t plan something this perfectly.
    First, the inability to stop thinking about a nameless girl, who just
like the others he’d had one-nighters with, should mean nothing. How could anyone
have anticipated his response to her? How could they’ve manipulated the irrepressible
intrigue he’d feel for her?
    That Olivia happened to be related to Romero of all people spoke volumes
as to how much this could not have been planned by anyone. No way in
hell would Romero have volunteered his own flesh and blood, especially