His Every Move by Kelly Favor Read Free Book Online

been good at knowing how to hit me where it hurts. But I guess she’s not quite smart enough to realize that my friend owns the damn website.”
    “Is he going to get it back for you?”
    Red nodded. “Kane’s already paid her off to try and get her to send him what she has. I can only hope she doesn’t have copies shipping out to every other major tabloid as we speak.”
    Kallie was stunned. “I’m sure she didn’t make copies,” she said. “I mean, she’s older and probably doesn’t know how easy it is to copy a DVD.” But remembering Erica Jameson and the crazy look of anger in her eyes, the predatory intelligence—Kallie suspected she might be crafty enough to keep at least one copy as insurance.
    Red nodded, but Kallie didn’t think her words had given him much comfort.
    “Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all of this is because I’ve invited my mother and father to the house tonight. It’s going to mean some extra work for you, since they’ll be staying a couple of days.”
    Kallie squinted in confusion. “Wait. What?”
    Red smiled at her puzzlement. “I know the timing is strange, but believe me—
    there’s a reason for everything I do.”
    “But you just said your mother’s trying to throw you under the bus—she’s blackmailing you. Why on earth would you bring her back into your house?”
    “I suppose you’ve never read The Art of War by Sun Tzu,” he said. “But I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’”
    Kallie shook her head. “I don’t know. That sounds like a dangerous way to live, if you ask me.”
    “It is. But if you’re a fireman, sometimes you have to go into a burning house, be near the flames, smell the smoke, maybe even get burned—if you want to stop it.”
    “What’s Nicole going to say about it?”
    “She won’t like it, but she’ll trust me to take care of things. That’s what I do.”
    Kallie nodded uncertainly. “Well, it seems like you’ve made your decision.”
    “I have.” Red’s eyebrows lowered and his eyes hardened. “Remember, my mother has no idea that I know about that DVD. She doesn’t know Nicole told me about it, and she certainly doesn’t realize that I’m friends with Kane Wright.”
    “But do you really want her in your house?”
    “That’s not the question,” he replied. “The question is how well I know her, and I think I know her well enough to make the most of this opportunity.”
    And with that enigmatic but vaguely threatening remark, he left the veranda and went back inside.

    ***
    Later that day, Nicole and Red were clearly fighting.
    Kallie was busy around the house, setting up for this bizarre family reunion. She hadn’t realized—until Nicole mentioned it—that Erica Jameson had been divorced from Red’s father for years and years. They’d separated when Red was three years old.
    Kallie kept her mouth shut as she worked to get the house clean and in order, but she didn’t have a clue why Red would want to bring his divorced parents together under the same roof as his newborn baby. Especially since he was aware of the fact that his mother was actively trying to destroy his life.
    Did he think that this would appease Erica in some way?
    Was this some bizarre childhood dream of recreating a happy family that never really existed?
    She didn’t know, but she wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing the results of Red’s experiment.
    And Nicole wasn’t either. Kallie hadn’t been around for the conversation when Red had explained his plan to her, but it couldn’t have gone very well, judging by the results.
    All day long, Nicole was unnaturally quiet—sullen and sarcastic.
    She wasn’t even being very nice to Kallie.
    Everyone in the house seemed to be on edge, and it only got worse as the sun started to set and it got closer and closer to the time when the “guests” would be arriving.
    At around five-thirty, there was a call from the front