Page 57 of Mr. Risky

“Sosie!” someone called, and I whirled around to see Hayden striding up the soaked path toward me.

There was an angry frown on his face.

“You’re going to pay for this. This is going to ruin my sister’s career and my family name.”

“Shouldn’t have been peeping at my tits,” I snarled back, discovering my fortitude just when I was alone in a storm, with no help around.

He gripped my hair and ran me into the sheer rock of the cliff behind me. I only managed to put my hands up at the last minute, but the sharp edge scraped all down my face.

“Stop!” I screamed, beating at his head with my fists, but he was too powerful, and he turned me around and aimed my head at the rocks again!

I shrieked even louder, and suddenly, Hayden staggered forward, and was violently knocked down onto the rocks.

“Hello, songbird,” Granger said, his voice cool as the very devil himself.

“Isn’t it sad that in the storm he slipped on these slick rocks? Tragic, really. But not unexpected.”

“But—”

“Did you really think I was going to let him live after he dared to look at you? No, darling, I’m afraid not.”

“I didn’t even know if you were going to come back for me.”

He tutted.

“Sosie, I’ll always come for you.”

“You’ve spent the entire time since I’ve been back fucking another woman!”

He grinned. Granger was completely soaked, his blonde curls plastered to his face, but his smile was as irrepressible as ever.

“Hush now. You know I never loved her. Wasn’t this all worth it?”

And he put strong fingers between my breasts and drew out something that sparkled like scarlet sun rays after a storm.

“Keep it tucked right there. You did good.”

I should reject it, I should reject him.

If I went along with this, I would be throwing my lot in with a common thief, a grifter, a con man.

“Are you going to be faithful? I don’t even think you know how.”

He kissed me.

“Sosie, I knew from the first moment I saw you that I was going to give you whatever those big green eyes wanted. You were such a good girl to wait while I fucked another woman to get it. Now you get your reward. We’re gonna sell these and get us the biggest, most beautiful houseboat you’ve ever seen and the three of us are gonna ride around fiddling and playing the flute and go wherever we damn well please.”

“And if I go with you, hell, what are the chances you end up in jail by the end of the year?” I demanded.

He grinned, ran a knuckle across my wet cheek.

“Guess that’s a risk you’ll just have to take. Are you willing to?”

I bit my lip, but had there ever been any doubt?

“Well, how are we gonna get out of here? I’m afraid the road is washed out by Hollingsworth House.”

“Right up here,” he said.