Passionate Investigations by Elizabeth Lapthorne Read Free Book Online Page A

It had taken multiple
arguments with both her father and Tanya to convince them Miles was not the
wizard for her. Finally Tanya had heard some of the rumors about Miles’s
wandering eyes and helped her convince her father to drop the subject.
    While Zahra understood her father came from the perspective
of wanting to see her happily settled, she knew now was in no way a good time
to mention her burgeoning affair with Rob.
    “I really don’t want to start an argument with you, Dad. Not
today of all days. Miles and I—”
    “No, no,” her father waved a hand dismissively. “While I
admit to great disappointment in the wizard’s treatment of you that wasn’t
where I was going. I just wished you could find a wizard to be happy with, I
want to see you settled, baby. Taken care of.”
    Zahra pressed another kiss to her father’s cheek. “Maybe I’ll
surprise you one of these days, Dad. Who knows, right?”
    “Maybe,” her father replied absently, patting her hand, his
thoughts clearly moving inward once again.
    “Do you want a drink, Zahra?” Eric asked courteously, clearly
assisting her father play host.
    Zahra shook her head. “No thanks, Eric. I need to get
moving. I just didn’t want to leave without letting Dad know.”
    “Is it getting late?” Grant seemed to tune back in to their
conversation once again. Really getting worried about how her sister’s death
seemed to be affecting him, Zahra held his hand.
    “A little, Dad, I have a few things I need to take care of.
I thought I’d go through Tanya’s apartment and clean things up a bit. Will that
be okay?”
    “Oh, yes, of course,” Grant replied. “Don’t throw anything
out just yet, but sorting things away neatly would be a great help, thank you,
baby.”
    Zahra turned her gaze to Eric, her concern clear. “You’ll
stay with Dad?”
    “Of course,” he assured her.
    “Get some rest, Dad,” Zahra insisted. They hugged and her
father’s embrace tightened just before she moved back.
    “Eric can boot everyone out a bit later,” Grant replied. “I’ll
be fine, child. Don’t worry. Promise me you’ll call, I can tell something is up
but right now I just don’t have the energy for it.”
    Grinning, Zahra was forcibly reminded of all the wild
schemes she’d imagined up as a child. Each and every time her father had known
when she was about to bite off more than she could chew. He was not only a
powerful wizard, but his instincts when it came to plotting and subterfuge was
almost always spot-on.
    Grant Gower could smell trouble from a mile off.
    She should have realized he’d cotton on to it. A part of her
worried that he was not even remotely interested—but then realized he obviously
had far weightier concerns on his mind right now. She couldn’t blame him in the
least.
    “I’ll call, Dad,” she promised.
    Standing up, she hugged Eric in farewell.
    “Zahra, what a delight,” a familiar, smooth tone called from
behind her. Zahra stiffened but forced herself to not react further as she
pulled away from Eric. Miles Lancaster had entered the room. He held a drink in
one hand, the other wrapped around the same buxom brunette witch he’d been with
six months ago.
    Zahra hadn’t officially met the other woman, but she knew
from the copious gossip brought to her attention by “well-meaning friends” that
the sultry witch and Miles were an item now. Plastering a smile on her face,
determined to not make a scene, she greeted her ex.
    “Miles, Brit, thanks for coming to support my father.”
    “I never worked closely with Tanya, but her loss will be
felt through the company and also the Council. We’d all expected great things
from her in the years to come,” Miles replied somberly.
    Zahra’s stomach knotted. She honestly didn’t know why, but
something about the way Miles seemed so smooth and calm on the surface rubbed
her the wrong way. She bit down on the instinct to say anything. Miles still
was a rising star, very likely one day