Angelic Avenger by Kaye Chambers Read Free Book Online Page A

people in the room could have fallen for the ruse, but then felt Gray at my back and realized that none of them had. Only Honora was blinded by this creep, and the rest cared too much to tell her what they saw. I could sympathize, but being too nice was never something I’d ever been accused of, even in life.
    “Demos,” he continued after his pause in a voice rife with condescension. “Take money to produce. If Tim did them free, he’d go under inside a month since only about one in a thousand make a penny. He’s simply trying to make sure he gets a return on his investment since he’s only charging us a pittance on what it really costs.”
    “Good.” I smiled coldly. If only all the bad guys were this stupid, life would be good. He’d walked right where I’d wanted him to go. “Then he won’t mind not having to front the actual cost of it since I’m paying the entire thing to have it done…my way.”
    I watched his face pale as he understood the meaning a heartbeat before I finished making sure there was no doubt in anyone’s mind.
    “And that means your contract can go hang. The agreement I had drawn up this afternoon calls for an equal share of any and all profits from any music carried under the name Angelic Melodies, and is to be split equally among the performers involved after a one percent surcharge by the agent that I took the liberty of hiring out of my own pocket this very afternoon.”
    Okay, it sounded good. Had I done any of it? No, but Orifiel owed me and could work around it so it got done with a few whispered impulses in the right ears. I suddenly understood why there was a rule against angels interacting with their half-blood offspring. I was walking this line for him so he could follow through for us.
    “You can’t mean to cut me out,” he snarled and his true nature ballooned across his entire body language. “After all I’ve done for you. I got you where you are today and you’re going to let this little tramp…”
    “I’d stop there, if I were you—” Gray’s voice cut over him and he stepped back involuntarily toward the door at the threat in the tone, “—because Honora brought that contract to me and asked me to look it over. I came by tonight in hopes of taking her aside to talk to her about some of the peculiar wording in it.”
    I suddenly liked Mr. Charismatic Devereau a lot more than could be justified by the obvious physical chemistry. I couldn’t see his face, but felt the gathering of his power at my back. It held such a degree of menace that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end. More than that, every inch of my skin shivered as it brushed against me. Honora’s soon to be ex-boyfriend, judging from her expression, wasn’t immune to the wrath of an angel, even a halfling.
    “I was right, wasn’t I?”
    Her voice held a fragile undercurrent that nearly broke my heart. There’s nothing worse than having your illusions shattered in front of your closest friends.
    “I’m afraid so,” Gray confirmed. I wondered if the rest of them could hear the depth of sorrow under his words. It was a good thing there wasn’t anyone around to shoot the messenger but me, and I had other ideas for this one.
    I watched her face fall as the tears gathered in her eyes.
    “Get out, Andy. I never want to see you again.”
    “Sunshine, you don’t mean that.” His face was stunned as he blinked at her. “I’m sorry. I was a little shocked. I should have been more open to the idea of it. I didn’t mean to put my business relationship ahead of you.”
    “Just go,” she whispered and turned away from him. “Don’t make it worse.”
    “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he insisted as he took a step back toward the door.
    “Please don’t…”
    “I’ll be by to see you in the morning, Honora, honey,” Gray assured and I wished he wasn’t standing so close to me so I could see his face. “I’m sure Andy understands that you need your space to heal, don’t you,