Mine To Take (Nine Circles) by Jackie Ashenden Read Free Book Online Page B

Alex may not want to know these things, but Gabriel figured some part of him was hungry for news nevertheless. The mere fact he still kept tabs on his sister after all these years spoke volumes.
    Pushing himself off the couch, Gabriel went over to the bedroom doorway and leaned against it. Alex had pulled on a pair of jeans and was reaching for a T-shirt.
    “Don’t tell me anything else,” his friend said shortly. “I don’t want to know.”
    “Yeah, you do.”
    “No, I don’t.” Alex jerked the T-shirt down then turned to face Gabriel. “I lost the right to know nineteen years ago.”
    “So why bother keeping an eye on her?”
    “Because I didn’t trust Tremain.”
    The news sent a small, cold shock down Gabriel’s spine. He felt himself tense. Honor was small, a delicately built woman. Like his mother had been. Jesus. “Why?”
    Alex met his gaze. “I don’t trust anyone. Not even you, brother.”
    “Good plan.” Gabriel tried to relax, let the tension out. “I wouldn’t either.” Surely Honor wouldn’t have responded so defensively to his criticism of Tremain if something sketchy had gone on? Her response had been genuine, he was sure of it.
    After a moment, Alex said, “So you’re going to invest in this hotel thing then?”
    “Yeah. Seems legit. I got my finance and legal teams onto it this morning so we’ll see what happens.”
    Alex put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor. “She … seemed well to you?”
    Well? Interesting word to use for Honor St. James. He could think of other words though. Beautiful. Sexy. Intriguing. Challenging.
    “She did,” Gabriel said, keeping those to himself since brothers didn’t need to know them.
    Alex looked up. “And did she seem happy?”
    “I thought you didn’t want to know.”
    The other man looked away again. “Yeah, you’re right, I don’t. Now, where the hell is my phone?”
    *   *   *
    Honor celebrated the deal with Gabriel Woolf by taking her stepfather out for lunch at Leonard’s, one of the more exclusive restaurants near her office. Guy’s response the night before to the good news had been oddly muted. Especially when she’d mentioned that Gabriel Woolf was going to be one of the investors. But she’d hoped that when she had a chance to speak with him face-to-face about it, he’d understand what a good deal this was going to be.
    That Gabriel Woolf’s money would enable them to dodge an extremely large and lethal bullet.
    Unfortunately it appeared that understanding was not forthcoming.
    Guy’s long, blunt fingers toyed with the napkin across his knee, a slight frown on his handsome face. He was in his sixties, a tall, powerfully built man with a penchant for expensive suits and handmade shoes, and ridiculously vain about his gold hair. Which Honor suspected he dyed to stop the creep of gray.
    “I’m not sure about Woolf,” he said, pushing away the salad he’d only half-eaten.
    Honor tried to find some patience, but it was difficult. She’d thought Guy would be pleased—no, she’d thought he’d be ecstatic—to finally get the backing he needed to save his hotel chain.
    “What’s the problem with him?” Honor asked. “You can’t argue with his money.”
    Guy raised a hand to his perfectly coiffed hair, touched it lightly. “I’m not sure I want a man like him associated with Tremain Hotels.”
    “Why? Because of those ridiculous drug dealer rumors?”
    “They’re not exactly rumors. He was definitely involved with some outlaw motorcycle gang and you know what kinds of things those sorts of people are involved in.”
    She suspected she did. Gabriel Woolf did have the look of a man who would do whatever was necessary to get what he wanted. A man who probably had done whatever was necessary. It intrigued her.
    You’re also attracted to him.
    Well, yes. She was. But he was a potential client and she made a point not to go there. It was bad business. Besides, even if he hadn’t been a