Redemption Key (A Dani Britton Thriller) by S.G. Redling Read Free Book Online Page B

They could make her disappear. They could make jail look like the best-case scenario. They could—
    “Damn it, Dani.” Mr. Randolph broke her downward spiral of thought. “Is it just me or does Juan look nervous?”
    “What? What?” Dani didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath.
    “Juan Wheeler! Look at him. This deal is bad. I can feel it. I mean, even worse than a regular Wheeler deal.” Mr. Randolph gnawed on his lime peel. “Or am I just crazy? Having some kind of midlife crisis?” He arched an eyebrow at her in comic seriousness. “And don’t you dare tell me I’m way too old for this to be midlife.”
    She laughed, relieved to be knocked off her train of thought. “I’ll go ask him what cologne he uses. I’ll tell him I’m looking for a Christmas gift for you.”
    Mr. Randolph scrunched up his face in a passable rendition of the smaller Wheeler’s scowl, making his eyebrows twitch. “It’s the smell of power,
chica
. Power and women. And money. And my mother. Power, women, money, and mother—and not in that order.” He let his scratchy falsetto disintegrate into Wheeler’s familiar chittering giggle.
    Dani laughed again, making a point of not looking at the scowling man out on the deck. Mr. Randolph wasn’t checking on her; he wasn’t asking Caldwell to. He had a meeting to oversee and a bar to run. He had problems of his own that had nothing to do with her. As far as he was concerned she was just another housekeeper, another bartender. He must have seen her relax because he draped his arm over her shoulder in a paternal hug.
    “I’m getting too old for this, Dani. These meetings and these worries.” He turned her so they both stared out over the drunkenroom. “One of these days I’m just going to get on my boat and sail to distant shores. I’ll just be gone and this will all be yours. What do you think?”
    She knew he had no intention of ever leaving Jinky’s. “Do I get to keep Peg and Rolly?”
    “Do you have the firepower to get them out?”
    He hugged her closer and Dani let herself relax against him. His arm felt warm and heavy on her shoulder. She could have stood there forever. The feeling of solidity, of safety, of belonging, blew in on the hot tidal breeze. Mr. Randolph swayed gently with her, rocking them side by side.
    “It’s good to have you here, Dani. The customers like you. The locals like you. Hell, even Peg likes you, and she doesn’t like anyone.”
    “She hasn’t sprayed me with the hose in months.”
    “See? You’re practically sisters.”
    She smiled at that, watching as Casper threw a plantain chip into a young woman’s mouth. “I like it here, Mr. Randolph.”
    He nodded. “I’m glad.” They stood together in easy silence watching the old captain flirt with his drunken passengers. Finally he patted her arm. “We’ve got until tomorrow for the meeting. Why don’t you run down and tell Peg to help you out up here? Peg needs to burn off some steam, and it doesn’t look like anyone’s ready to quit drinking. Have Rolly whip you up some conch fritters, okay?”
    “Okay, thanks. I’ll just do another pass of drinks first.” She swung her bucket and ducked back behind the bar. She felt mellow and loose, like she’d just had a good cry or a long nap. Two girls near the deck cooed at a tiny Key deer that strolled out from the bushes below and Dani smiled. She liked it here.

    Oren watched Dani move through the crowd picking up empty glasses and wiping down tables. He’d just given her part of the day off andshe still wouldn’t stop working. The rental units had never been cleaner and the plumbing hadn’t backed up seriously since Dani had taken over maintenance. He’d never had an employee work that hard. He wasn’t entirely sure what motivated someone like that.
    She took a picture of a couple at the bar, saying something that made them laugh just as the flash went off. Maybe he’d read her wrong earlier. Maybe that smile she’d