Seduced by the Loan Shark by Roxie Rivera Read Free Book Online

my phone. I glanced at the
    screen and frowned. It wasn't a number I
    recognized.
    "Hello?"
    "Cassie?"
    I didn't recognize the female voice
    either. "Yes. Who is this?"
    "Um…that doesn't matter. Look, Ronnie
    is hurt."
    "What? How?" My knees wobbled as
    terror struck my gut. "Is he okay? How
    badly?"
    "He ran into some guys who owned
    some debt of his. It's pretty bad."
    "Where is he?" My voice was barely a
    whisper now. My heart was racing so fast
    I could hardly breathe.
    She rattled off the name of a hospital
    downtown and then hung up. I dropped the
    phone and rubbed my forehead. Sick with
    dread, I tried not to think about how badly
    Ronnie could be hurt. He was out there
    right now, suffering alone, and needed me.
    The jangle of a belt buckle broke into
    my thoughts. I glanced over my shoulder to
    find Hagen getting dressed. Clearly he'd
    pieced
    together
    my
    side
    of
    the
    conversation. I didn't understand it but the
    sight of him infuriated me. The reality that
    someone in his line of business—hell,
    maybe even one of his goons—had put the
    hurt on my brother for owing some debt,
    hit me like a ton of bricks.
    Hagen frowned at me. "Cassie, snap out
    of it and get dressed."
    I stiffened at his instruction. "Don't tell
    me what to do."
    He didn't even flinch at my snarled
    reply. "I know you're upset."
    My jaw tightened. "You don't know
    anything about me."
    "Are we back to this again?" He
    leveled a maddeningly calm stare my way.
    "I thought we talked about this in my
    office. I know more about you than you
    think."
    The reminder of our discussion in his
    office left me feeling unsettled. God, how
    stupid could I be? What the hell was I
    thinking getting involved with this man? I
    knew better than to trust someone so
    dangerous. What the hell was wrong with
    me?
    I'd let my guard down with Hagen. I'd
    let him seduce me. I'd let the man who had
    made it possible for Ronnie to get himself
    into this kind of trouble wine and dine me.
    Now my brother was in the hospital—and
    I'd been sleeping with the enemy.
    Hagen strode toward me. "Talk to me,
    Cassie."
    "I can't do this, Hagen." I pulled off his
    shirt, threw it at him and reached for my
    dress. "I can't be with the person
    responsible for my brother's downfall.
    You're the reason he's in the hospital
    now."
    His eyebrow arched. "Am I?"
    I glared at him before tugging my dress
    down over my head. "Don't play stupid,
    Hagen. You knew he was a gambling
    addict. You gave him the money. You kept
    increasing his credit at those stupid poker
    games. It's like giving a suicidal person a
    loaded gun!"
    "Guns aren't my line of business. That's
    Jackie Boy's action."
    I gritted my teeth. "I'm trying to be
    serious. People like you prey on the weak.
    You destroy them. You've destroyed my
    brother. Someday you'll do the same to
    me."
    My accusation hung in the air between
    us. Finally, he spoke. "Do you really
    believe that?"
    "I—" The answer didn't come. It died
    on my lips. Everything Hagen had shown
    me had been nothing but sweetness and
    kindness. He'd gone out of his way to
    show me that he would never harm me.
    "No," I admitted grudgingly. "I don't."
    "You know what I think?" He crossed
    the distance between us with a few
    powerful strides.
    "No." I shook my head and kept my gaze
    glued to my bare feet.
    Hagen tipped my chin and forced me to
    meet his warm, affectionate gaze. "I think
    you're pissed off at your brother. I think
    you're terrified that you're going to lose
    him like you lost your parents. I think it's
    easier to shout at me than it is to think
    about how afraid you are right now."
    He was right, of course. I was
    beginning to wonder if he was always
    right.
    He opened his arms and I stepped into
    his embrace. Hot tears burned my eyes.
    Hagen didn't say anything else. He just
    held me and rubbed my back until I was
    ready to pull away and finished getting
    dressed.
    After asking me which hospital, he took
    my hand and led me down to the garage.
    We