Wish Her Well by Meg Silver Read Free Book Online Page B

reins. Thomas has been floating out there in the wind, raw and alone all this time without Bill’s battles to fight or a line to hold. You think he’s immune to influence? Think again.”
    The two men locked eyes once more while Josh turned an unhealthier shade of white.
    Amanda’s stomach had seized the moment Wade used the word ‘killed.’ He knew. Wade knew perfectly well Thomas might be taking orders outside of the rightful chain of command.
    Enough of this posturing. Time to court the devil right out in the open. “Who’s the enemy? Who could have gotten to Thomas?”
    In measured tones, Wade told her, “If I knew that for certain, you would be long gone. Instead, you’re going to secure my asset. Or else. Find out who Thomas is talking to. How he’s spending his time, and I will contact you for frequent reports. For tonight…” Wade gestured toward Josh. “Do something about that, would you? His kind can’t stomach subterfuge.”
    She gave him an incredulous look. “But my kind can?”
    Wade snorted a laugh. “Bill Dunkirk used to say that people lived for three things: to fuck, to fight and to feel superior. From what I’ve seen, you’ve got two of those markets cornered so far. Now look me in the eye and tell me the thought of jumping into the fight doesn’t excite you. That you don’t secretly crave it.”
    Damn him. She couldn’t do that, and he knew it.
    She stood, unsure exactly how to phrase what she wanted to say. “I think you might have a higher opinion of my brains and abilities than you ought to have. I didn’t sign on for any of this. I don’t know who to fight or why I should fight them, let alone how to do any damage. Worst of all, I’m afraid of it.”
    “And yet you’re still here. You’re not weeping in a corner, or telling me no. And if you’ll excuse me. I have a neglected wife waiting at home. Deal with this.”
    Again, he gestured toward Josh, as if he were a mess she was supposed to clean up.
    She reacted badly to the dismissive nature of it, but Josh reached out to snare her hand.
    “Let him go,” Josh said. Quiet. She couldn’t tell if he was calmer now, or just exhausted. “He didn’t sign on for this either, you know. For him, this place is Siberia, and now he has to babysit me on the Accord.”
    Without thinking, she rested a hand on Josh’s shoulder. She had no idea what he’d gone through during the Accord sessions, but her Highwayman was at the end of his rope.
    He turned dark eyes to meet hers, and underneath all the weariness and stress, there was always kindness. Always warmth. “I need to know one more thing, and I need a straight answer.”
    Despite everything, a tickle of affectionate attraction warmed her through. “Of course.”
    “How involved are you with Thomas? Personally, I mean.”
    That was a tough question to answer. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think he’s… Well, other times, I… I honestly don’t know. I never know what’s real or what’s imagined with him.”
    One of Josh’s eyebrows hopped aside into a wry angle. Apparently he could sympathize. “But are you involved with him after hours? Are you seeing him outside of work?”
    “The only time I’ve seen him away from the resort was the wedding.”
    Now both of this eyebrows went up. “You’re not sleeping with him.”
    “No.”
    “Do you want to?”
    “Wow. How am I supposed to answer that? He’s your best friend, and you and I are about to spend the night together.”
    “Oh, come on. Do you honestly think conventional rules apply to the three of us? Do you think I would begrudge Thomas anything, especially you?”
    She wasn’t sure how to answer that, either.
    He stood and hauled her up with him. “Let’s walk. I’m sick of being cooped up, and I need to check how far they got on our transplant.”
    Amanda had no idea what he meant. As they walked, Josh explained a client had wanted a full-sized maze removed from their property. Rather than cut it all down