Clandestine Christmas. Elle James

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ still be so powerfully attracted to him. Or maybe it was because so much had happened between them that her body took on all the characteristics of a blanket longing to cover him.

      The door closed after Blackstone, and Hannah found herself alone. She tugged the message from her pocket and crossed to the phone. The door opened again. Her stomach tightened, but when she turned, it wasn’t Chad staring at her from the doorway, it was Jack Stokes. Her anxiety melted into exasperation.

      The bounty hunter was attractive what with his craggy, blond good looks. But at the moment, men in general didn’t appeal to Hannah.

      She replaced the telephone receiver.

      Stokes quickly closed the door. “Hey there, Hannah, luv, remember me?” The Australian held up his right wrist where her handcuffs were still solidly attached to his wrist.

      Hannah closed her eyes. This wasn’t happening….

      “I owe you big-time for this one, McGee,” Stokes said in his heavy accent.

      “Yes, well, if you had been a little nicer to me, you wouldn’t be sporting that particular bit of jewelry, would you, Jack?”

      “You always were a piece of work, Hannah.”

      “I’m really not up for this.” She dug in her skirt pocket, then gave him the key to the handcuffs.

      He made a show out of unlocking himself. “Tell me, Hannah, what’s our old pal Hogan doing back in town?”

      Ah, now she knew the real reason he’d sneaked into the room. And sneak was exactly what he’d done because Hannah doubted time would have dulled Chad’s dislike for the wily, easygoing Aussie.

      “That’s something you’ll have to ask him,” she said, pretending a nonchalance she didn’t feel.

      Jack stepped a little closer, turning on what Hannah knew was his best charm. Only it had never really worked on her. “Come on, luv, you can be straight with me. What’s Blackstone up to? Tell me and I’ll call it even.”

      “Even?”

      He tossed her the cuffs.

      Hannah tucked them into the holder on the back of her concealed belt. “I really wish I could tell you, but I don’t know what Elliott’s up to.”

      “Come on, McGee. Admit it, you wouldn’t tell me if you did know. Which leaves us off at the same place we started, doesn’t it?”

      “Which is?”

      “I owe you one.”

      Finally, the door closed behind him and Hannah leaned against the desk and rubbed her forehead. What, exactly, did she do to deserve today?

      It seemed that no sooner had the door closed, it opened again.

      She glanced at the message in her hand, then at Elliott Blackstone. While she didn’t think she’d ever completely recover from the shock of seeing Chad again, now that she’d had a little time to collect her thoughts, she couldn’t help wondering how much money was involved. Start-up costs for Seekers had drained more of her savings account than she’d expected. Then there was the plumbing that needed to be replaced; wiring that needed to be brought up to code. If this trace was as important as she was coming to suspect, then it could mean some much-needed earnings.

      “Give me five minutes, Hannah. That’s all I ask.” A breath expanded Elliott’s cheeks.

      She caught herself absently running her fingertip along the name listed on the phone message then nodded.

      Elliott immediately seemed to relax as he said, “Okay. Two weeks ago I extended bail to two people. Normally that wouldn’t be important, but one thing makes these two different from the rest. Enough that they made the news.” He paused for a moment. “Money.”

      Hannah tried to concentrate. To forget Stokes had thrown down a professional gauntlet she had no intention of picking up. To wipe from her mind that Chad waited on the other side of the door. “You deal in five-and-dime cases, Elliott. Small time.”

      “Normally, yes, but no one else would take these two, so I made an exception.”

      She latched on to the critical tone in his voice. “Who are they?”

      “Two employees of PlayCo arrested for grand larceny.”

      “Grand larceny?” She pushed her hand through her hair. “PlayCo’s a toy company. What did they take? Mickey Mouse’s pants?”

      Shaking his head, Elliott tried for a smile, and failed miserably. “I wish it were that simple. My brother-in-law is the attorney for these two. I made bail as a favor to him. They were due for a preliminary hearing this morning and…well, you know the rest.”

      “How much do you stand to lose?”

      Elliott swallowed visibly and named an amount.

      Hannah dropped her arms from where they were crossed over her chest. She didn’t know what shocked her more: the reappearance of Chad in her life or Elliott’s atypical behavior. She decided Chad definitely came out a painful first.

      “Like I said, it was a favor.” Elliott glanced at his recently chewed fingernails. “Look, I could go on all day about how this was a first offense. About how they had worked for the company for ten years and all that, but I won’t.” He paused. “The fact is I put up the bond and they skipped.”

      Hannah drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened in the past ten minutes. Ten minutes. Six hundred seconds. Such a short time, really. A short time she was afraid would affect every minute of her life thereafter.

      Elliott wasn’t joking when he said he was in danger of closing down. If made to pay the amount of the bond, not only would his office be history, but Elliott himself would probably be paying off the debt for his next two incarnations.

      “Why call Chad in?” She recrossed her arms over her chest.

      “He’s the best there is, aside from you.” His expression was earnest. “Hannah, I need every ounce of manpower I have for this one. I swear, if I lose this place you might as well dig a hole for me six feet under. And don’t think I’m exaggerating. As much as I complain and manipulate, this business is my life.” Elliott shifted uneasily. “So…what do you say? Will you postpone your plans for Seekers and take this last one on?”

      Hannah thought about her daughter, the cost of the day-care center she’d wanted to enroll her in and the one she’d chosen instead because it was more reasonably priced. If she succeeded in this trace, she’d be able to afford to send Bonny to the other one…plus a whole lot more.

      “Does it mean working with Chad?”

      Relief colored Elliott’s ruddy features. “That’s up to you.”

      “You have files on these guys?”

      He pushed a thin manila folder across the desk. “Here. Only they’re not both guys.” Hannah looked at him. “One is a woman.”

      “What СКАЧАТЬ