Free The Pleasures of Spring by Evie Hunter Page A

on the tiny table, a couch that doubled as a bed and a pile of paperwork weighed down by a hand-made leather arm protector that he used for archery.
    She stowed her dirty jeans away in an overhead locker and pulled out a blanket to make up a bed on the child-sized couch at the front of the caravan. Finally, she pulled the curtains and sorted through the clothes that Cheyenne had given her.
    When she finally emerged, Frankie whistled. ‘You clean up better than I was expecting.’
    She scowled, but was secretly pleased. ‘Does this mean that I have a film star body?’
    ‘Better than that, you have a Roz Spring body. Most film stars are ridiculously skinny. Cheyenne Knight is the only one who looks real.’
    Roz was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a bra which she suspected cost more than she would spend on an entire outfit, silk panties and the $800 blouse. It had turned out to be the most practical of all the clothes in the bundle.
    ‘I feel like a sow’s ear,’ she complained. She was terrified to eat anything dressed like this in case she got a mark on it.
    ‘Nah, it makes a change to see you dressed like a woman.’
    ‘I can dress like a woman.’ She had a vivid memory of Paris, and a red leather cat-suit which showed off every curve. It made her look far too much like the sister she hated. She had never worn it again.
    Frankie handed her a glass of wine and set a plate before her. Her mouth watered. A steak so tender she barely needed a knife to cut it.
    ‘Acting looks like a good gig. At least they feed you well.’
    He nodded and allowed her to eat half of her meal before he asked. ‘So, tell me what brought you here.’
    She put her knife down, her appetite gone. ‘I had a bit of trouble in London.’
    Roz didn’t have to go into details. In their world, ‘a bit of trouble’ explained everything. She was tempted to stay silent, but Frankie was the one person who might be able to help.
    ‘You know that Dad’s in prison?’
    He nodded.
    ‘He got caught when he was pulling a scam on the Ramos brothers. They weren’t pleased, but at least when he’s in Pentonville, they can’t do much to him. But he’s due out in a few months, and then they’ll be looking for the money he cost them.’
    ‘How much?’
    She took a deep breath. The number didn’t seem real. ‘Half a million.’
    Frankie choked. She had never seen him so shocked. Roz patted him on the back.
    ‘Yeah, I’ve got to get him off the radar, or find the money by the middle of August.’ It was a depressing thought.
    He gave her a measuring look. ‘Peter managed to get himself into trouble. Why are you rescuing him?’
    Roz looked through the window at the sky. Out here in the middle of nowhere there was little light pollution and the stars were huge and luminous. She had never seen stars like that in London or Paris. ‘He’s not much of a dad, I know. But I can’t leave him alone. He’ll get himself crippled or killed.’
    ‘He can make his own mistakes …’
    Roz glared at him. ‘Look, he’s my dad. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t make sure he was safe. He’s all the family I have.’
    Frankie said slowly, ‘He’s not, you know.’
    What the hell was he saying? ‘If you think I’m going cap in hand to those fucking O’Sullivans, you can think again.’ She got up, planning to go to bed.
    He grinned, all teeth and charm. ‘No, that’s not what I was thinking. How would you feel about pulling off the hustle of a lifetime?’
    Roz sat down again. ‘Tell me more.’
    ‘That’s my girl.’ Frankie topped up her glass of wine. ‘It’s going to be the perfect scam. No one gets hurt, and only the greedy get burnt.’
    She grunted. ‘No hustle would work if people weren’t greedy. It’s next to impossible to scam an honest person.’
    Frankie nodded. They both knew that ninety per cent of all cons depended on someone trying to take advantage of someone else or get something for nothing.
    ‘This is a good one.