Confer, Lorelei - Deadly Revenge (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Read Online Free Page A

sincerely glad to finally recognize her high school classmate.
    Angie looked behind Tory for any other customers in need of service and seeing none came back to Tory. “You remember Jerry Young, right?”
    Tory nodded.
    “We married right after graduation.” Angie lowered her voice. “Jerry works construction for your ex-fiancé, Matt Wilson. When there’s any work, of course.”
    “Matt’s married and owns a construction company? It’s hard to imagine.” Tory felt a red flush rising on her chest and face and hoped Angie couldn’t see the surprise on her face.
    “You just saw his wife, or soon to be ex-wife, rumor has it anyway. She just left the bank with her panties in a wad. I heard they’re going through a bad time,” Angie said, shaking her head. “I always feel so bad for the children, even though they only have one little girl.”
    “How old is their daughter?” Tory asked, her heart thumping loudly in her ears.
    “She’s about two or three years old and the cutest little thing you ever did see,” Angie answered as she handed Tory back her license.
    Tory ran her fingers through her hair, stood up straighter, and pulled her light jacket down in the back. Anything to busy her hands and mind to keep from panicking. Just to talk about Matt made her uneasy, her palms sweaty. Finding out he had a woman pregnant before he would have married her took her breath away. Her throat constricted, and sweat beaded down her spine.
    “He owns Wilson Construction, and he did real well for himself moneywise until he got some competition. When his parents passed away, they gave him all their land, and he started building houses and developed all the area he could get his hands on. Now he’s hurting to keep business. Yes, he made a ton of money, but between his women, fast cars, electronic toys, and his wife’s elaborate lifestyle they ran out of money. Now he and Braedden Properties, who’s the other developer and his main competition, have a war going on between them. And Matt’s really hurting for money in a bad way.”
    Tory rubbed her arms up and down with her hands as if she had a chill. She ran her hand across the bandage on her forehead, then ran both hands through her short hair, checked her nails. She looked behind her. She saw no one although she felt as if someone was watching her. No one. No one around to get her out of this jam she found herself in.
    Angie surprised her by asking, “But what about you, Tory, married and kids?”
    Startled by her question, Tory stuttered, “I’m single.”
    “Oh, divorced? I’m so sorry.” Angie shook her head.
    “I never married,” Tory clarified. Her palms were really sweating now. Sweat trickled down her back. Beads of perspiration appeared on her upper lip and forehead.
    “Oh, I’m sorry, I just assumed someone as attractive as you would have settled down by now.” Angie studied the pen she held in her hands.
    “What about you, Angie? How many kids do you and Jerry have?”
    “Three. Two boys and a girl,” Angie said as Tory handed her a check to open the account.
    Tory hung her head. She opened and closed her wallet, put her checkbook away. She did anything she could think of to keep her hands busy and her eyes down, so she wouldn’t have to face Angie, afraid she would read the anguish on her face.
    Tory signed the signature card Angie passed to her and handed it back.
    “What happened to your head?”
    “I had a little fender bender on my way into town.”
    “Really?” Angie exclaimed as she looked out the window at the retreating black car of Paige Wilson.
    “Well, your account is completely set up. Have you moved back home permanently?”
    “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here. I need to take care of some matters with my mother and see how things go.” Tory was getting a little tired of all the questions. Anxious to leave, she picked up her purse.
    “Maybe we can get together for a girls’ night out. As you can imagine, I need one