Justice Burning (Hellfire #2) Read Online Free

holding out a hand to help her out of the vehicle. “I take it you might be late for a wedding.”
    “No.” She glanced down at her dress and then up at him, her eyes wide, her bottom lip trembling. “I’m not late for a wedding. I…I changed my mind.”
    A strange feeling of relief washed over Nash as she placed her hand in his and turned, edging bare feet out of the car door.
    “Ma’am, do you have shoes somewhere beneath all of that dress?”
    She shook her head and grimaced. “No. I kicked off my shoes as I ran out of the church.”
    “Do you have a spare pair stowed in the trunk?”
    Her eyes widened even more. “No!” She dipped down her head and continued in a more sedate tone. “I brought nothing with me. No purse, no suitcase. The trunk is empty. Really.”
    “Then let me help you to my vehicle.” He leaned down and scooped her out of the car, lifting her into his arms, the dress billowing up around them both.
    She squealed and looped an arm around his shoulders. “You don’t have to carry me. I can walk barefooted.”
    “I can see that.” He tipped his head toward her scratched feet with the pretty, pale pink nail polish.
    “Hey, Nash, whatcha got there?” Rider’s chuckle sounded from next to the wrecker.
    Nash straightened with his load and faced his brother.
    Rider, the closest in age to him of the Grayson brothers, sauntered toward them, a grin spreading across his face.
    “Miss—” Damn, he hadn’t even gotten her name. “Ma’am, what’s your name?”
    “Phoebe.” She chewed on her lip and then added, “Smith. Phoebe Smith.”
    Something about her answer didn’t sit right, but Nash was more concerned about his brother’s dumbass grin. “Miss Smith’s had a minor fender bender in a rental vehicle. You’ll need to tow it to town, and contact the rental car company to see what they want to do about the crunched bumper and the flat tire.”
    “Got it.” Rider tipped his cowboy hat and held out a hand to Phoebe. “Rider Grayson. Pleased to meet you.”
    She took his hand and gave him a hesitant smile. “Pleasure’s mine.” She shot a glance at the car on the side of the road. “If you’d just tow it to town, I’ll call the rental car company and make arrangements for it from there.”
    He touched the brim of his hat. “Yes, ma’am.”
    “And I’ve already checked in the trunk,” she added. “There isn’t a spare. So no need to change the tire.”
    “I’ll tow it, and let it sit until you give me further instructions. Uh, do you always dress this way for outings?” His gaze swept over the dress, and he winked.
    Her cheeks flushed and her arm tightened around Grayson’s neck. “No. Never.”
    Ready to move on, Nash frowned at his brother. “If you’re done with the questions, I’ll escort Phoebe to town. We’ll see you there.”
    Again, Rider touched the brim of his hat. “See you soon.”
    Damn, Rider had that come-to-hell-with-me smile the ladies loved. By the way Phoebe blushed, she was no different. Didn’t Rider get it? The woman had skipped out on a wedding, leaving some poor schmuck standing at the altar, bride-less. She didn’t deserve sympathy.
    Nash marched to his vehicle, juggled the woman in his arms to half-free a hand from the voluminous folds of the wedding dress and opened the back door. When he leaned down to place her on the seat, her arms locked around his neck and her cheek pressed against his.
    “Deputy Grayson,” she whispered against his ear.
    Her breath warmed Nash’s neck, and the scent of honeysuckle wrapped around his senses, making him pause to drag in a deep breath. “Ma’am.”
    “Do I have to ride in the back?” she asked, her voice shaking. “Please, I don’t want to go to jail.”
    He chuckled and straightened, leaning his head back to look into the most startlingly soft green eyes he’d ever seen. At that moment, they were the color of the moss that grew on the sides of the live oak trees. “It’s just to get