Free Losing Ladd by Dianne Venetta Page B

brother, Jack. She , his willing accomplice. Cal
didn’t want to even think about what the lighter represented. Not
with Jillian on premises. She had a reputation for arson and a
heart black with envy and malice.

Chapter Eight
     
    Nick Harris spied the narrow backside
of Jillian Devane’s figure as she stood in front of the bar at
Whiskey Joe’s. Not his preferred meeting place. Unfortunately he
wasn’t in a position to quibble. She’d insisted on the bar and
lounge and he accepted. Actually, venue mattered little. This
wouldn’t take long, he mused, raking his gaze over the length of
her body, her tapered legs draped in denim, her four inch heels par
for the course. Nick could envision her face. Cat eyes would turn
up at the ends when she smiled, spit daggers when she was angry,
accompanied by a flash of temper. Full lips would pout or part,
depending on her mood. She’d held an intrigue for him once, an
adventure onto dangerous terrain, but when her heart turned
spiteful and she turned the sharp end of her blade toward him, the
thrill had ceased. She was threatening his family now, and Nick had
zero tolerance for her games.
    “ Jillian,” he murmured,
keeping his voice purposefully low as he drew up beside
her.
    Sliding a hand down the
counter, she turned, peering up into his face with a practiced
calm. “ Amorzhino .” She smiled, her eyes slanting in pleasure. “I was so glad
to get your phone call. I knew you’d come to your senses
eventually. Your country wife must be leaving you alone much too
much,” she purred, tiptoeing her fingers up his chest.
    Removing her slender hand from his
body, he pressed it back against her chest. Planting his hands to
his waistband, he said, “This isn’t a friendly visit. I want to
know why you’re here and how you’re mixed up with Jeremiah
Ladd.”
    “ Are you
jealous?”
    “ Couldn’t care less,” he
retorted.
    Jillian slid her arms around his torso
and pushed into him. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ve never
heard of the man.”
    Roughly pulling her arms
from him, Nick brought them together, securing them in a
single-fisted grip. “I’m not playing games with you, Jillian.
Jeremiah was bailed out, with cash . Where did he get
it?”
    Anger lit up the gold in her eyes,
emotion thrashing openly before she snuffed the flames and smirked.
“Perhaps he went to a bank?”
    “ I think it was you.” Nick
leaned down, whispering harshly, “I think you contacted the casino
in Vegas and paid his marker for him.”
    Jillian didn’t shrink from him. He
knew she wouldn’t give him the pleasure and certainly not for
public consumption. Instead, she held her ground and softened her
tone. “Why would I pay money on behalf of someone I don’t
know?”
    “ Because you and Jeremiah
share a common goal.”
    Hypnotic eyes turned up at the ends as
she ushered forth a pout. “Does he want you like I want
you?”
    A bartender walked up behind Jillian,
depositing a martini glass filled with aquamarine liquid. The young
man cast a hesitant eye toward Nick’s hold on Jillian’s arms. “Can
I get you something to drink, sir?”
    Nick shook his head. “No, thanks. I
won’t be staying.”
    The kid moved down the bar, attending
to other patrons.
    “ You should stay,” Jillian
hummed against her burgundy-glossed lips. “I will make it worth
your while.”
    He wasn’t interested in her tease.
Only her end game. “I will figure it out. I will put you two
together.”
    “ Don’t waste your time.
The only ‘two’ you should be putting together is you and me.” She
winked. “Like the old days.”
    Nick released her in a sudden thrust
and stepped away from her. He was getting nowhere. While he thought
he could detect the lie in her eyes, Jillian’s practiced deception
was a mask he couldn’t penetrate. No problem. There were other ways
to get at the truth besides attempting to extract it from her up
close and personal. “Oh, and by the way, how did you get