2 Lady Luck Runs Out by Shannon Esposito Read Free Book Online Page A

Turned out, that night changed the course of her life. The superstar "magician" was our father, Ash Winters, and his magick was real. He picked her out of the crowd for a disappearing trick and immediately fell for her. They saw each other secretly for three months until she got pregnant with me. Her very strict, religious parents weren't having any of it and kicked her out, so our father moved her to his family mansion in Savannah, where he would visit her every few years, leaving her with two more girls four years apart. Mom seemed to understand this arrangement, though she would never elaborate on it. She would just sigh and start to say something about "the law of three" and then stop herself. The one time I had tried to really push her for information, her eyes grew so sad, I decided not to ask again.  
     The waitress brought Will's drink and took our orders.
    I straightened up, pushing the past aside. "So, I heard Rose Faraday's funeral is tomorrow?" I glanced at Will.
    "Is it?" he asked. Then he looked at me curiously. "You didn't know her. Are you planning on attending?"
    "Well." I shrugged. "I am taking care of her cat. I was thinking maybe I could find one of her relatives at the service who would like to adopt Lucky."
    Will took a sip of his Guinness. I had an urge to lick the foam off his upper lip but he beat me to it. "Oh. I forgot about her cat. Good plan."
    I stifled a smile and blinked my eyes innocently at him. "Or you could take her. You did say you would get a new cat." His wife had left him six years ago and took their cat.
    His mouth twisted in a grin as he leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I said I could get a new cat. There's a difference."
    "Oh," I whispered, our lips still in close proximity. "But she's a very nice cat."
    "I don't have time for a cat." He kissed me again.
    I could have spent all evening talking about the cat but Mallory cleared her throat. We sat back and looked at her.
    Mallory was making a face at me.
     "What's wrong, Mal?"
    "There's no sugar in this iced tea."
    I almost laughed because she looked so stunned. Instead, I pushed a few sugar packets her way. "You have to ask for sweet tea in Florida." I turned back to Will, ignoring her grumbling. "Did you know Rose was the president of the HOA at her condos?" I asked, trying to seem uninterested.
    "Yes, one of her neighbors mentioned that." Will stared at my mouth, hungrily. I ignored that, too.
    "And Jeanie Shoster said that everyone was pretty upset with her for the Doggie DNA registry program she had forced on them."
    "Really?" Will's eyes sparkled like they did when he knew I was about to amuse him with something, which apparently I did quite often. "Doggie DNA?"
    "Yep. Seems they make everyone register their dog's DNA and if they don't clean up after their pet, they can find out who the culprit is and fine them."
    "So someone does a DNA test on the dog poop?" Will shook his head. "Seriously? It's hard enough for us to get timely DNA tests from crime scenes."
    "Regardless, I can see why they wouldn't think too kindly of Rose. The fine is $1,000 and if they don't pay it, they can put a lean on their condo or even confiscate their dog! How crazy is that?"
    "Well, I agree that's just..." Will searched for the right word but could only grin. "Silly."
    I had to get him to take this more seriously. It was the only motive I had so far for someone letting that rattlesnake into Rose's condo.
    "I'm sure she had more than a few enemies over this. You can't mess with people's pets, Will. They're like their children."
    "Oh, I don't know. Her neighbors had nothing but nice things to say about her."
    "Of course they did. It's bad juju to talk ill of the newly departed."
    The waitress appeared with our dishes: vegetable curry for me, beef tips for Will and jerk chicken sandwich for Mallory.
    Mallory munched on a fry. "Freaky that a rattlesnake could get into a condo all by itself, though, huh, Will?"
    I kicked Mallory under the