Riley by Liliana Hart Read Free Book Online Page B

said.
    “Unfortunately, two-thirds of us in this room have scruples, so that’s not going to happen,” Riley countered.
    “I’m afraid he’s right, Doctor Scott,” Cooper said as he came into the room with one of his deputies. Their guns were drawn and pointed straight at Jon. The deputy began reading him his rights while Cooper cuffed him.
    “This isn’t over,” Jon yelled over his shoulder as he was led away to the jail one story below.
    Riley pulled Maggie close and stared at Cooper. “Thanks for being here. How’d you know?”
    “I had a sensor installed on the outside of the door that detects movement. As soon as he broke in an alarm went off downstairs and I got a call.” Cooper turned to Maggie. “We need the pearl. We’re going to have to return it to the Egyptian government.”
    “Sure.” Maggie bit her lip and she wiggled uncomfortably against his hold.
    “What is it, sweetheart? You told me you had the pearl in a safe place. Where do we need to go to get it?”
    “Not very far,” she said. Her face was turning an interesting shade of pink. “In fact it’s right here in this room.”
    “You had it with you the whole time?” Riley asked. “Where is it?”
    “It’s, umm…well, I found this…” she stuttered.
    Cooper started laughing before she could finish her sentence. “Let me guess. You found the hidden drawer in the bottom of the chest in the closet.”
    Cooper was bent over with laughter, and Riley was beginning to see the humor in the whole thing too. He leaned down to whisper in Maggie’s ear. “You know, someone with an adventurous spirit wouldn’t care if my brother was watching you dig through his chest of sex toys to find a priceless artifact.”
    Maggie pulled out of his arms and shot him a dirty look. “Fine. As long as you’re the one to tell him where all the missing toys have gone. Because I’m not giving them back.”
    “Consider them a welcome gift to the MacKenzie family,” Cooper said.
    Maggie knelt on the floor of the closet and pushed against a small notch in the wood. The bottom of the cabinet moved around like puzzle pieces until a drawer was revealed. She pulled it open and took out the pearl, wrapped completely in black silk.
    She stood up and handed it to Riley first. “Go ahead,” she said. “I know you’ve always wanted to see it.”
    He pushed back the silk and his breath caught at the history he held in his hands. The sheen was lustrous and he could see his reflection as clearly as if he were looking in a mirror. He looked at Maggie.
    “It’s absolutely breathtaking,” he said, but he was speaking directly to her. By the soft smile on her lips, she understood exactly what he meant. Riley wrapped the pearl back up and handed it over to Cooper.
    “I guess I’ll leave you two alone,” Coop said with a smile. “When do I get my apartment back?”
    “A day,” Riley said. “Maybe two. Now go away.”
    Riley waited until the door closed and he heard the key turn in the lock before drawing Maggie into his arms. “I love you, Maggie.”
    Her face paled and her breath trembled. “I wanted you to so badly,” she said. “But I thought it would never happen. I feel like I need to give you fair warning, my mother is going to absolutely hate you.”
    “I don’t care. I love you, Maggie,” he repeated, waiting to see if she would share the words he didn’t realize he needed to hear.
    “I love you too, Riley. Take me to bed and welcome me to the MacKenzie family properly.
    And he did.
     

 
     
    About the author:
     
    Liliana Hart is the pseudonym for an author of more than a dozen books. She lives in Texas with her husband and cats, and loves to be contacted by readers.
     
     
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