Free Haunting Rachel by Kay Hooper Page A

doors and iron bars on the windows, and inside went on the quiet, desperate kinds of business that destroyed lives and souls.
    The police seldom bothered to patrol the area, and the denizens had learned to take care of trouble on their own.
    As for The Tavern itself, the sign out front had long ago vanished, and nobody had bothered to replace it. The interior had been trashed so many times that the current owner had finally stripped the floors down to the stained concrete and the furnishings to little more than scarred pool tables.
    The place was incredibly dark and smoky, to say nothing of being three deep at the bar with most of the worst citizens of Richmond, but no one gave Nicholas any trouble. In fact, men gave way for him instantly and without a murmur of complaint or abuse, even the drunkest ones.
    He found Adam Delafield in the back corner, occupying one of only three booths not torn out long ago to provide more room for the pool tables and the clientele—a standing man taking up less space and much less furniture than a sitting man.
    “Nice place.” Nicholas slid into the booth across from Adam, automatically shifting the unsteady table a bit more toward Adam to make room for himself.
    Adam rescued two wobbling glasses as the table rocked, then handed one across to Nicholas. “Have a beer. You sound disgruntled.”
    “I am disgruntled. You dragged me out of a warm bed.”
    “The beer’s not bad. Honest.”
    Nicholas sipped, then grimaced slightly. “Okay, it’s not bad. But that was a very warm and comfortable bed I had to leave, Adam. Couldn’t this have waited until morning?”
    “You tell me. Did you get the call?”
    “From Graham Becket? Yeah. Asked me if you were on the level with Rachel. If Duncan really had loaned you three million dollars.”
    “And you told him?”
    “That you were, and Duncan had. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to say?”
    “I hope you managed to sound a bit more convincing, Nick.”
    Nicholas smiled. “Naturally. Fair warning though— Becket’s a suspicious bastard at the best of times, and where Rachel’s concerned, he’s even more so.”
    Adam frowned. “Is he that protective of her?”
    “He’s that in love with her.”
    “You’re sure about that?”
    Nicholas shrugged. “As sure as one man can be of another man’s feelings. He’d just love to slay dragons for her. Protecting her and her money from an ex-con with a fishy story would suit him right down to the ground.”
    Adam scowled. “Great.”
    “I did try to warn you this wouldn’t be easy.”
    “I know. But I’m an optimist.” Adam took a drink of his beer, still frowning.
    “You’d also better know that Becket will turn up the conviction and jail time in pretty short order. I don’t like the son of a bitch, but he’s efficient as hell and definitelymotivated. So you’d better start planning to look at Rachel with big, sad eyes while you tell her your long, sad story.”
    Adam grunted.
    Nicholas looked at him with cynical amusement. “Pretty long limb you’re crawling out on.”
    “It’s no place I haven’t been before.”
    “True.” Nicholas studied him across the table. “And this time you’ve dressed for the part. That’s a new look for you, isn’t it?”
    Adam shrugged.
    Refusing to be warned off, Nicholas went on coolly. “Longer hair, more casual clothing. I seem to recall that was Thomas Sheridan’s style.”
    “You don’t say.”
    “You’re taking a big chance, Adam.”
    Once again Adam shrugged, but a frown drew his brows low. “Maybe. But I don’t have much choice, do I? She wouldn’t have let me in the door otherwise.”
    “Which door are we talking about?” Nick asked gently.
    Adam ignored that question. Instead, he fixed his attention on using his sweating glass to connect water rings on the scarred table, and changed the subject. “How much time do you figure I’ve got?”
    “Before Becket rides to the rescue? A few days, maybe a week. He’ll start