The Last in Line (The Royal Inheritance Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

matter which way Renee moved, he moved in the other direction.
    “It ain’t just Cressi. It’s also your friend Mandy and Desiree down the hall.”
    The extent of Ray’s betrayal burned deep. “Get out!” she screamed.
    Ray feinted to the right and then ran left around the sofa and towards the door, grabbing his duffel bag on the way. She heard him yelling all the way down the hallway and down the stairs. She slammed the door behind him.
    Renee stood in her living room panting, fury coursing through her, her hand gripping the baseball bat. That lowlife! That arrogant, manipulative jerk. Her body quivered from anger and she tried taking deep breaths to calm herself down, but just made herself dizzy instead. She tried walking a large circuit around the living room, but found she wanted to punch the wall.
    A sharp knock sounded at the door.
    That son of a bitch, back for more . She crossed the room in three strides and yanked open the door.
    “What do you want now!”
    Two men—not Ray—jumped back. The first gentleman was tall and elderly. He was impeccably dressed in a dark, high-buttoned suit with a kerchief that pointed perfectly out of his breast pocket. A gold shield pin was in his lapel. His demeanor was unnervingly aristocratic. The second man was shorter and broader in the shoulders like a rugby player. He was younger, perhaps mid-30’s, and wore a beige trench coat over a cheap gray suit that looked rumpled as if he had been travelling. The wrinkles in the corners of his eyes were friendly.
    “Perhaps we knocked on the wrong door”—began the elder man. His accent was decidedly not Texan.
    “Sorry about that. I thought you were Ray,” said Renee and lowered the bat.
    “Who is Ray?” asked the younger man.
    “My soon to be ex-husband.”
    “That chuffed bloke ranting about crazy bi— about crazy women?”
    Renee made a face. “That’s the one.”
    “Yeah, we passed him on the stairs. That man’s your husband, you say?” He appeared amused.
    “We’re separated,” said Renee, waspishly. “How can I help you?”
    The older man, having got over the initial shock of a woman jumping out of a door and yelling at him, cleared his throat. Renee suddenly felt very nervous.
    “Are you Georgina Renee Montshire Krebs?” he asked.
    Renee scowled. “It’s Renee.”
    “But you are the above named?” he pressed.
    “Yes. What do you want?”
    Nothing good had ever come from a repetition of her full name. It was only ever used on legal documents and bills. Bills! Her mind jumped to the stack of unpaid bills gathering dust in the corner. The two men in suits must be debt collectors. All her anger evaporated immediately and was replaced by fear. She stepped backwards in the apartment and the gentlemen followed.
    “I’m going to pay them I promise! I’m working every shift I can.” She scurried over to the table and started flipping through the envelopes. “I paid half the electric bill last week—I worked it out with the company over the phone and will pay the rest next week so you don’t have to worry about that one.” She flipped to the next envelope. “I know I’m behind on cable bill, but I’ll pay it; I’m going through a really hard time right now. It’s not easy just relying on myself.”
    She realized she was babbling and the tears that were choking her up probably didn’t help matters. She continued to go through the bills and didn’t notice the concerned looks the two men were giving each other. The younger one spoke. Renee had worked herself into a blubbering hysteria and he had to repeat himself to get through to her.
    “Mrs. Krebs? We’re not here to make you pay on your debts. We’re not debt collectors.”
    “You’re not?” She inelegantly snorted up mucus that was about to drip down onto her collar. The older man looked aghast down his high, beak-like nose. Renee thought he might have shuddered in disgust. She was suddenly aware that she was still in her waitressing