To Live Read Online Free Page B

leafed quickly through the pages and photos. A vein began throbbing in his neck, and the blood drained from his face. "Identity theft, money laundering, embezzlement..." He tossed the papers and photos on a nearby chair, and before Kelsey could register what was happening, he charged toward Craig and planted a fist in the center of his face, knocking Craig to the floor.
    Kelsey's hands flew to her mouth.
    Her father massaged his hand. "Call the police." It was an order.
    Kelsey reached for her purse as Craig scrambled to his feet and stumbled down the aisle, a hand clamped over his bloody nose.
    "Run," her father said, his voice like thunder. "You'll not get far. You'll pay for this. I'll personally make bloody sure of that."
    Craig burst through the double doors and disappeared.
    ***
    "What a total jerk." Maeve scowled. "I hope you made him pay for what he did."
    "We did. He tried to leave the country, but the cops picked him up at the airport and arrested him for a string of crimes. His sentence was extended when we found out during an audit that he'd embezzled over a million euros from my father's company."
    "Wow, that's some heavy stuff. That's why I don't trust men. They're all liars. I never date a man for longer than one month."
    "A month? That's it?"
    Maeve dipped a finger into her beer and sucked off the foam. "I don't trust any of them."
    "They're not all the same, you know. There are some good men out there."
    "Believe me. They're all alike. Look at that one." Maeve pointed to a middle-aged man sitting at one of the high tables beside the bar. He had one hand wrapped around a glass of whiskey and was stroking a plump woman's cheek with the other. "That's his wife over there." She moved her gaze to a woman sitting at a table not far from them. The woman's eyes were fixed on her husband, and she looked close to tears. "I don't know how long she's going to keep up with his bed-hopping. He doesn't even make it a secret that he's seeing other women. They've only been married a year."
    "Poor woman."
    "Yes. See why I'll never get married or have children?"
    "You never want to? Ever?" Despite what had happened with Craig, Kelsey still wanted to get married one day, and have kids—with the right man this time.
    "What's the point? Most marriages I know end bitterly."
    Kelsey bit into her brownie. "Have you ever been in love?"
    "A long time ago. It didn't end well." Maeve feigned a shiver.
    "What happened?"
    "He was an ass. Take it from me: Men can't be trusted. One month is the limit for me."
    "How's the guy you went to meet this afternoon?"
    "Actually, it was a breakup date. We've been seeing each other for three weeks, and he was getting to the stage where he wanted to hold my hand in public. Can't have that."
    Kelsey laughed and finished her tea.
    Maeve waved a petite blond waitress over to their table. "I'll have another pint, Clara, and one for my friend."
    "No, no." Kelsey shook her head. "I don't drink beer."
    "There's a first time for everything. Tonight's the night to let your hair down."
    It wasn't considered classy to drink beer where Kelsey came from—but she was in Dreara to get away from that lifestyle. She had come here to do what she wanted, without anyone peering over her shoulder. Maybe she should drink a beer and decide for herself whether she liked it.
    Looking up at Clara, she shrugged. "What the hell. Yes, there is a first time for everything."
    One beer was followed by another, and another, and then by something stronger Kelsey didn't remember ordering.
    Before she knew it, she was nodding and tapping her foot to the music, and Maeve was out on the dance floor on shaky legs, swaying with a man she called her "catch of the night".
    Kelsey remained in her seat, wondering how it must feel not to give a damn what anybody thought of her. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she turned around. Two tables away, there he was, watching her through a haze of smoke. Her stomach flipped.
    The