Graveyard Shifts: A Pat Wyatt Novel by Laura Del Read Free Book Online Page B

conversation.”
    “Who’s the someone?” she asked in a whisper, even though she didn’t have to.
    I checked over my shoulder again, but he was nowhere to be seen. “His lawyer,” I answered. “Someone named Michael Wolf.”
    “Oh, okay.” She yawned, and then added, “Wait, did you say you were in his house in the Hamptons?” She paused, taking a deep breath. “Oh my God.” Realization hit her hard. “How rich is he?”
    I placed my hand on my hip. “Why do you automatically assume—”
    “Stop with the hand on the hip,” she interrupted, knowing me all too well, “and just tell me!” When Tina was impatient, she was downright indignant.
    “By the looks of this house,” I considered quickly, “I’d say very.”
    “Oh god.” Her pout was even obvious over the phone. “Now I’m really jealous.”
    Her saying that gave me a pang of guilt. After all, she was older than I was, and I was sure she felt more than a little depressed. “It’s okay, Tina,” I said, trying to reassure her. “You’ll find someone.” Just then, I had the strangest feeling I was being watched. Sure enough, I glanced over my shoulder to see the Wolf approaching. “Listen,” I turned back to the conversation, “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Okay, babe.” She winked through the phone. “Don’t strain yourself.”
    The laughs would not quit, and in that instant I really wished they would. “Good-bye, Tina.”
    “Bye-bye,” she sung, and I pressed the end button, turning back around to see the lawyer only a few steps away.
    “Thanks again.” I nodded and was thankful that laughs had finally stopped. But I still felt like flirting with him. Weird.
    He smiled, taking the phone from my hand. “Any time,” he said, placing it back in his pocket.
    We stood there for a long silent moment, just looking at each other. “Would you like some breakfast?” I asked, gesturing toward the dining room. “There’s enough to feed an army.” I smiled slightly. My arms were folded across my chest. I was uncomfortable with him looking at me the way he was. It was like I was the only woman in the world and he just couldn’t understand why.
    His intense stare faltered when I waved a hand in front of his face. Thankfully, he blinked. “Oh,” he finally spoke, “uh…no thank you, ma’am. I best be goin’ back to work.”
    “Oh.” That made me miserable, and I was really upset by how cold my voice sounded. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Wolf.”
    “Likewise.” He held out one hand while rubbing the back of his neck with the other. “And please call me, Mike.”
    I shook his hand, and it felt as though I had known him all of my life. His touch, his eyes, and the way he spoke were all too familiar to me. “I’ll tell Samuel you stopped by.”
    “No!” he said abruptly, and then was quick to regain himself. “There’s no need to go and do that. I’ll tell him myself. Okay,” he sighed, as if he didn’t want to leave, and then he reluctantly let go of my hand. “Bye.” He walked past me, and I stood there for a moment paralyzed. I didn’t want him to leave.
    What are you doing, Pat? I scolded myself. Do something, you idiot! “Wait!” I yelled after him, and he turned to face me again. “It may not be my place to ask, but I thought since you’re his lawyer, you would know.”
    “Yes,” he said, turning his back toward me. Odd.
    “How much is Mr. Satané worth?”
    He looked over his shoulder with a crooked smile. “Over a hundred million dollars.”
    What? “Did you just say…?” the rest of the words were caught in my throat. I was not expecting that.
    “Yes,” he said, “I did.”
    That’s when my breath caught in my chest, and everything went dark.
    Now I’m not one for fainting, but the next thing I knew, I was on the antique sofa with someone holding smelling salts under my nose while somebody else slapped my face. My eyes shot open, my vision blurry. And when it cleared,