C's Comeuppance: A Bone Cold--Alive novel by Kay Layton Sisk Read Free Book Online Page B

clothes on my back and sent me to summer camp for many a year.”
    C snorted, rolled the papers together and clenched them in his hand. “This would also make me my brother’s neighbor, right?” She nodded. “Well, well, wouldn’t Lyla be surprised.” He seemed pleased at the prospect of settling in next to the woman who’d been trying to get rid of him for a week. “Let’s go see them.”
    Standing up, he slapped his thigh with the paper roll. “I’m hungry. Where are you taking me to lunch?”
     
    ***
     
    Lunch. Well, of course, she’d take any other ordinary client to lunch. If it was a couple, they’d go to the Chinese buffet, hunters she’d seat at the Quik-Lee, C she’d—
    There wasn’t any place she wanted to take him to lunch, to be seen with him, to open herself to public scrutiny and talk. How could they gracefully order in? Where was the nearest drive-through?
    The mental answers were negative to both those questions. Jemma smiled weakly at him and gathered her purse and jacket, took out a ring of keys from the cabinet on the wall. He followed her like an obedient puppy, standing by the door as she told Carolyn where they were going, even opening it for her as she neared the exit.
    She didn’t bother to turn at the ringing of the phone until Carolyn called her back as she cleared the small concrete porch and stepped off onto the gravel of the parking lot. “Jemma, it’s for you. He’s insistent!” Carolyn stood on the porch and held out the portable phone.
    “Couldn’t you tell whoever it is I’m gone?” She turned back to her employee only to find her pointing the phone in the direction of the realty business in the next block. Standing in his driveway and staring at her, phone clutched to his ear, was Wiley Rose.
    “Like he’d believe me,” Carolyn stated as she handed the phone over.
    “Yes, Wiley. Obviously you can see I’m—”
    “Stealing my clients. That’s what you’re obviously doing!” She watched as he changed his stance and folded his arms, hugging the phone to his ear with his shoulder. “Jem-Jewel, that’s not very ethical of you.”
    Jemma stopped where she was and set her jaw. C stood by her car between the adversaries, moving his head as if at a tennis match. “Wiley, since when have you worried about ethics— yours or anybody else’s?”
    “I’ve always been concerned about everyone else’s. Particularly the lack thereof. I’m just surprised at you, that’s all. But I’ll forgive you. Just tell him to come on over where he’ll get a better deal.” Wiley motioned for C to come join him.
    Jemma narrowed her eyes at the two men. C didn’t move, in fact seemed to be enjoying the exchange. Wiley was just being his usual ass-self. “Look, Wiley, not that it’s any of your business, but we’re going to lunch now.”
    She could hear his laughter in the air, didn’t have to confine it to the receiver. “Lunch! A nooner? Jem-Jewel, you just don’t stop surprising me!”
    “Bastard!” Jemma didn’t care if he heard her or not, the intent was certainly there as she punched off the phone with an exaggerated motion and handed it back to Carolyn.
    “Problem with the competition?” C raised his eyebrows and leered.
    “You shut up, too.”
    “Whoa! What did that good ol’ boy say to ruffle your feathers? I’m going to have to talk to him about that. I need a calm agent. I need—”
    “You just need to get in and shut up, Mr. Samuels.” She aimed the remote at the SUV and clicked the button to unlock the doors. Instead, the alarm went off, its whoop-whoop being accentuated by the head- and tail-lights flashing in rhythm. “Oh, this damn—”
    Eddie C stood about two feet from her and she slammed her purse and jacket at him. He caught them as she took a shooter’s stance at the car and clicked every button on the remote. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Wiley laughing so hard he had to sit on the ground.
    “Here! You’re not getting