Sweet Victory: A Novella (His Wicked Games #2.5) by Ember Casey Read Free Book Online Page A

course!”
    “What they’ve chosen to do with the estate is no longer our concern,” Calder says. “But what does this have to do with you appearing on my doorstep?”
    Louisa rubs the back of her neck. “I may have snuck in and spray-painted a few obscene words on the green.”
    Okay—so for a minute I’m actually a little impressed.
    “A couple of rent-a-cops caught me in the act,” Louisa continues. “I managed to outrun them, but I think they got my tags as I drove off. I thought of pulling over and spending the night at some roadside motel, but I had a feeling they might send the real police after me. They’ve got a full security team over there—they’re not going to take something like this lightly.”
    “Maybe you should have thought about that before you broke onto the property and committed vandalism.” Calder’s tone is unforgiving.
    “Come on,” Louisa says. “Admit it. You’re a little bit proud of me.”
    “Actually, I’m a little bit pissed that you decided to bring this problem to my home. Should I expect a visit from the police at three in the morning?”
    “Don’t be so dramatic. It might be nothing. I just need a p lace to sleep for the night. I’ll figure out the rest in the morning.”
    Calder holds out his arms. “And do you see a place to sleep around here?”
    He’s so angry that I can see the blood pulsing at his temple, but his voice remains as calm as the sea before a storm. However this ends, it’s not going to be pretty. I step forward and gently touch his arm. His muscles stiffen beneath my touch, then relax slightly.
    “Would you like something to drink, Louisa?” I say as politely as I can.
    Calder’s sister doesn’t look nearly as worked up as he does. In fact, she looks rather amused by this entire situation.
    “Call me Lou,” she says cheerfully. “And I’d love a drink.”
    I lead her into the kitchen, shooting Calder a look of sympathy over my shoulder as I go. Maybe when he’s had a moment to take a deep breath, he’ll figure out the best course of action from here. In the meantime, it’s going to take everything in my power to keep from strangling Louisa—Lou—myself.
    Our Chinese food is still on the counter, and I offer her an egg roll as I sift through the boxes for a glass. She munches away and nods when I wave at the bottle of red wine we left unfinished.
    “So,” she says, leaning toward me across the counter as if we’re old friends. “You two are living together. Must be pretty serious then, huh?”
    I nod. “I guess so.”
    She smiles. The left side of her mouth curls up a little more than the right—just like Calder’s. Up close, it’s remarkable how alike they are, and in spite of myself, I find my heart softening a little.
    But she still showed up uninvited in the middle of my special night with Calder—upsetting him, no less—so she isn’t off the hook just yet.
    Lou, however, seems oblivious to my annoyance.
    “How long have you two been dating?” she asks.
    I don’t really want to get into this right now. I want to get her fed and back out the door so Calder and I can get back down to our little game.
    But I smile and say, “A little over six months.”
    “Wow.” She seems genuinely pleased by this knowledge. “He must really like you.”
    I’m not really sure how to respond to that, so I shrug and say, “I hope so.”
    “If not, he’s gotten himself into quite the predicament, hasn’t he? It’s never really a good idea to move in with someone. Unless you’re married, I suppose—but even a lot of those end in divorce, don’t they? It’s a messy situation all around. Living together just makes everything that much more complicated when you break up.” She takes another bite of egg roll. “Six months isn’t a very long time, is it?”
    I can only gape at her. Is she serious ?
    But Lou’s not done yet.
    “Not that I know. I mean, I know my brother, but he’s never lived with a girl. Ever. And I don’t