LITMIR.BIZ

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the money from the sale, she knew her mother could pay off the debts and start fresh. They’d planned it down to the smallest detail.

      “Don’t worry about me,” Carly said, fighting the tears that threatened. “I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”

      But could she really? She had always been at home, and while many of her friends had married and settled down, she had taken over the responsibilities of running their large estate—an estate that had become a huge money pit.

      “But, Carly—”

      “No buts, Mama. It’s time I strike out on my own. But I’ll be in touch. I promise. Call Cousin Edward about the sale. And do it today, Mama, please.”

      “I just don’t know…”

      “You’ll love that new apartment,” she said, her heart aching. “I love you, Mama, and I’ll talk to you again soon.”

      After her mother professed her own love, Carly hung up. She had spoken with her mother’s cousin Edward at length about selling the house. He knew exactly what needed to be done, and he would watch over her mother until Carly returned. If she returned. But she couldn’t now. Not yet. That was something she wasn’t ready to face for a long time.

      Dev didn’t have any idea what Carly might like to eat, so he’d had the chef load up a cart with just about everything. His own breakfast had been hours ago, as was his habit. He didn’t need to eat, and he slept only when exhaustion forced him to.

      Unlocking the door to his private quarters, he pushed the cart into the room ahead of him. He immediately saw Carly perched on a chair, a frown marring her pretty features.

      “Glad to see you made it through the night.” He stopped next to the low table in front of her. “I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable.”

      She gave him a small, shy smile. “I wouldn’t know. Apparently, I slept through everything. I hope I wasn’t a bother. If you’ll just tell me—”

      “Here,” he said, passing her a plate to fill. “Dig in. I hope there’s something you like.”

      Her eyes widened when he removed the shiny domed lids of several individual plates piled high with a variety of different foods. “I’m not a big breakfast eater,” she began, her gaze on the offerings, “but this looks too good to pass up. Where did you get it? Is this a hotel?”

      “Of sorts,” he answered, handing her a cloth napkin.

      She looked up to stare at him, surprise and a touch of fear evident in her eyes. He smiled and added two more fresh strawberries to her plate, then sat on the corner of the sofa near her. He wasn’t quite ready to reveal her whereabouts. Until he could discover how much she knew about J.R., he’d keep the information to himself. When he was certain she wasn’t involved in his stepbrother’s nefarious activities, he’d answer her questions. The less personal ones, at least.

      “Relax and enjoy your breakfast,” he told her, crossing one foot over the other knee and leaning back to watch.

      “Aren’t you going to eat, too?”

      “A little late in the day for breakfast for most people, don’t you think?”

      She placed her plate on the table in front of her, sighing, and looked up at him. “There you go again. A question for a question. I’m beginning to think you don’t want to tell me anything. Am I right?”

      “I’ll answer your questions and maybe show you around when you’re finished. How’s that?”

      Shrugging, she picked up her plate again and took a bite of fresh cantaloupe. While she was busy with her food, he studied her. As inquisitive as she was, he wondered how J.R. had managed to con her, if indeed he had. It was entirely possible that she was embroiled in the man’s schemes. But she didn’t strike Dev as the devious type.

      He weighed the possibilities. Her angelic face and air of innocence might be an asset J.R. could put to good use. The man had fooled almost everyone with his false tales and easy-on-the-eyes appearance. But for a woman who’d left her intended at the altar, Dev wasn’t ready to believe she wasn’t involved in anything or even knew that the man she’d nearly married was nothing more than a thief.

      “You don’t seem too concerned for a bride who just jilted her groom,” he pointed out.

      The strawberry in her hand stopped at her open lips. She closed her mouth and returned the fruit to her plate, hanging her head, her shoulders drooping. When she looked up at him again, her eyes brimmed with tears and pink tinged her pale cheeks. If she was acting, she was one of the best he’d ever seen. But J.R. would find the best. Still, Dev had to quell the sympathy he suddenly felt for her.

      “I made a…mistake,” she said, ducking her head again.

      “You mean you had to marry him?” His gaze slid down her body, wondering if she might be carrying the child of his sworn enemy.

      “Mercy goodness! It isn’t what you’re thinking,” she cried, her cheeks deepening to a rosy red. “We never…He didn’t—”

      “You aren’t pregnant,” he finished for her, ignoring his slight feeling of relief. “Then why was it a mistake?”

      Pushing the plate of food away, she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. “This is very embarrassing,” she said in a soft voice he had to strain to hear.

      Had she been duped and was now too ashamed to admit she had been involved in anything that might be illegal? But he wasn’t ready to trust her. Maybe she was playing on his sympathies, and he wasn’t going to fall for it if she was. He wasn’t sure what he could say to get her to open up to him, but he tried with, “You can tell me. I’m a good listener.”

      She shook her head, and a tear trickled slowly down her cheek.

      “I promise not to judge you,” he coaxed.

      For a moment she didn’t move, except to sink her teeth into her bottom lip and nod.

      “He hurt you?” Dev asked when she didn’t say anything.

      “No, he never laid a hand on me. He was always a gentleman.”

      “I mean…emotionally,” he tried.

      She blew out a breath. “You mean because of Prissy.”

      “Prissy?”

      “My maid of honor. Prissy is supposed to be my best friend.”

      “Then you are in love with him?” Somewhere deep inside, Dev almost hoped she would say she wasn’t. And he didn’t like thinking that. But if she wasn’t, he didn’t want to learn that this young woman was on the wrong side of the law.

      Her chin lifted and her lower lip quivered. “I suppose it won’t sound very good if I say I thought I was.”

      He smothered the slight stab of disappointment he felt. Yesterday, when he’d helped her leave the church, his only thought had been that she might give him some information about J.R. After all, the wedding wasn’t going to take place, and he had lost his chance to corner the man. But because she felt she had nowhere to go, he didn’t see any reason not to take advantage of the situation and use her to lure J.R. here on his own turf. It would be even better to confront him here. The bride might have taken offense to the groom being led away by police on their honeymoon. Especially now that he had met Carly.

      But he found himself losing his perspective and wanting to help her out of whatever trouble she was in. Maybe he could still help her and nail J.R., too, but he’d have to have the full story before he could do it. And he had to keep his plans for the casino and J.R. uppermost in his mind. Getting sidetracked because of a pretty woman wasn’t like him. He wasn’t about to take that chance now, when he was so close.

      “Tell me what the two of you were involved in.”

      She stared at him, her eyes wide. “Involved

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