The Right To Remain Mine by Linda Kage Read Free Book Online

knowing exactly how long he had known her, "and you don't know my name?"
            It stung. He knew everything he could discover about her. Soon after meeting her, he'd looked her up in the system. Willow Grace DeVane, born on November fourth, had a clean record. Ten years his junior, she'd been raised in Dexter County her entire life and left for only a few years to attend college at Duke. She'd gone through school faster than most law students and passed her bar at age twenty-seven. Now, at twenty-nine, she was a successful solicitor who usually only took divorce cases.
            The woman at least had the decency to blush. "I've only ever heard anyone call you Malloy," she defended. Then she frowned and asked, "Did you say Rafe?"
            He shook his head. "No. It's Raith, with a T-H not an F."
            DeVane stared a moment longer, looking transfixed. "Raith," she repeated quietly. "Well, that's a fascinating name."
            Raith took pleasure in the way a half-smile lit her face as she studied him, as if she'd completely forgotten they were archenemies. But she seemed to realize she'd been staring far too long, because she quickly twisted away and switched her attention to Kit, frowning at him as if her lapse in memory was his fault.
            "Been breaking the law again, cousin dearest?" Kit asked as he forked up a mouthful of lasagna.
            She sniffed, but Raith answered the man before she could. "I'm here to show her some self-defense moves."
            As she turned to narrow her eyes at him, he shoved more food into his own pie hole. Damn, the woman really could cook orgasmic Italian. The only thing that could make her lasagna taste better would be covering her naked body with the meal and licking all the flavors off.
            "Why you doin' that?" Kit muffled between bites, interrupting Raith's delicious thoughts. "She get mugged or something?"
            "No!" Willow snapped, and sent a pointed look Raith's way, silently commanding him to keep quiet. "I did not get mugged."
            Ignoring her wordless warning, Raith leaned past her. "She was attacked by one of her clients at the jail yesterday."
            Kit immediately stopped eating. "She what?" He whirled toward DeVane. "What happened? Did you get hurt? Are you okay?"
            "I'm fine," Willow said just as Raith added, "He gave her a nasty bump on the forehead."
            Kit immediately reached over and flipped up her bangs to see the dark bruise stretching over her right eyebrow. "Holy hell!" he burst out, pinning her with a disapproving grimace. "Damn it, Willow. Why didn't you tell anyone?"
            Willow glanced over at Raith and blasted him with a killer glare. "Thanks a lot, Malloy. Now, every freaking member of my family's going to call, worried and upset."
            "Good," Raith shot back. "Maybe they can lecture some sense into that hard head of yours."
            "How did this guy get close to you?" Kit butted in, reaching for her hair to get another look at the bruise, only to have her to push his hand away and hiss at him.
            "She provoked him," Raith explained. "Right after he'd been arrested for trying to kill his wife."
            "Willow!" Kit barked, his face soaking red with anger.
            Willow sighed and turned to Raith. "Will you shut up and stay out of my family business? No... better yet, just get out of my house altogether."
            "Wait a second here," Kit stepped in. "If he's supposed to teach you to defend yourself, then he's damn well staying."
            Willow spun to Kit. "And you can go too," she added through gritted teeth.
            Kit merely smiled and patted her cheek. "Yes, I love you too, cuz. Now, into the living room with you. You're going to learn some selfdefense."
            Willow resisted his tugging hand on her arm.