Made for Sin by Stacia Kane Read Free Book Online Page A

course she thought that, thought all of those things. She thought he loved using and being used.
    And he needed her to think that, or at least some variation of that. He sure as fuck couldn’t tell her the truth, that he was indeed defective in ways she could never even imagine.
    He didn’t have to let her see how much her comment stung, either, and he didn’t have to accept her insinuation that he wasn’t trustworthy. “Sorry, Mrs. Grundy, but that bullshit isn’t going to work here. You know damn well you can trust me, because you wouldn’t be here otherwise—Felix wouldn’t have sent you to me. So don’t use that as an excuse to lecture me about things you know nothing about.”
    “I know about men who get what they want and then—” Her mouth snapped shut. She looked away, fast, as color suffused her cheeks. Interesting. Enchanting.
    And enlightening. Was that what her problem was—some guy had used her and thrown her away? Funny, she didn’t seem like the type who’d be attracted to idiots, and as far as he could see only an idiot would climb out of her bed and never return.
    He wanted to say that, to say something kind that might chase away the clouds passing over her face. But his chest still burned from the wounds she’d inflicted, and he wasn’t quite ready yet. He settled for, “Yeah, well, I’m not one of those men. And you don’t know me at all like you think you do, so unless you want to deal with whoever’s coming after us by yourself, I suggest you lay off my personal life. You think you can do that? Or do you want to take your chances alone?”
    Oh, she didn’t like that. Her eyes flashed cold ice; she moved away from his desk, putting distance between the two of them. “I can take care of myself. And you still need my help to find the demon-sword.”
    “You’re not the only thief in town.”
    “But I’m the best,” she snapped. She looked, standing there, like a princess. Like a queen. Like a woman who could take on the entire world, and would, if she thought it was necessary—and like she would win, too.
    For some reason, the thought made the pain in his chest dissipate. Or, well, it changed it somehow, replaced it with some other kind of pain he didn’t understand and didn’t want to think about. The only thing he knew for sure about it was that it made him tired. Tired of fighting with her. He didn’t want to do it anymore. He didn’t want to hurt her, or make her feel like she needed to defend herself. That look on her face, like she expected a fist to come at her from out of nowhere…he didn’t want to see that look again.
    He held up his hands. “So I hear,” he said, trying to sound as neutral—as conciliatory—as he could. “Which is why I’d like your help on this. And you need mine, to find out who’s after us. So why don’t we call a truce here? There’s no need for us to be rude with each other, is there?”
    She hesitated long enough for him to start thinking he was going to have to find himself another thief—or another source of information, at least—after all, but finally she gave him a grudging half smile, one of those head shakes that meant yes instead of no. “Mrs. Grundy,” she said. “It can read.”
    “
It
has a lot of skills,” he said without thinking. Damn. Quickly he added, “But—”
    His phone rang. Majowski, probably, giving him the okay to come take a look—or a sniff, to be accurate—at Theodore’s clothes.
    Yes, Majowski. A very troubled-sounding Majowski. “Speare…can you come out to Sunrise Manor?”
    Uh-oh. “Right now?”
    “As soon as possible, yeah. There’s another one here.”
    Another—oh, shit. Another body. Another of Laz’s men. Was his right arm missing again? No point asking. Majowski wouldn’t tell him over the phone.
    “I can get there, but I’ve got somebody with me. She’s involved,” he added, glancing at Ardeth, who was obviously listening and less obviously taking mental notes on the