a Touch of Revenge (Romantic Mystery - book 6): The Everly Gray Adventures Read Online Free PDF Page A

isn’t my place to rifle through whatever he kept there. You were his wife, spent time with him in that room, were welcome there. And you have those magic fingers. Even if there aren’t any written documents leading us to his employers, you’ll find clues.”
    Pain was etched in the tightness of her forced smile. They’d been so close, Mitch and Jayne, and that he’d kept a secret this important from her had to hurt. Every empathic cell in my body thrummed right along with her pain. “I will do my best to find his boss. Have you tried calling the number Mitch gave you? The one to report any emergencies while he was away on assignment?”
    “Disconnected. Parker has a business meeting in thirty minutes, so if you want lunch it would be best to eat now.” The door closed with a soft snick.
    One quick but delicious lunch later, I retreated to my workspace-slash-bedroom for the client sessions I’d scheduled. And after finishing those, I cancelled everything on my calendar for an indefinite period, because there was no telling how long my revenge would take. That done, I settled in for a long nap. It was a cowardly way to avoid Jayne and Parker, but they had business, and sometimes my fingers got flakey when I was over-tired. It would be best if my magic digits were in top form when we arrived at the Steele house.
    Not Mitch’s. Not mine. It was Steele property now.
    Tears welled. Mitch wouldn’t be there waiting for me. When I’d stayed in one of the guest rooms during the week of his funeral, I kept seeing him come around corners, heard his laugh echoing faintly in the hallways, and felt his arms slide around me while I slept. Maybe some of his energy was there, but more likely it was a phenomenon born from stress and lack of sleep.
    Jayne woke me just before we landed, and my sleep-clogged brain took a few seconds to remember where I was and what was happening. Mitch. I was chasing down the man he’d worked for. And then what was I going to do? No Annie, no Adam, and no Pierce for backup. Without them to support me, I wouldn’t be doing anything more dangerous than finding a name. Maybe an address.
    The forty-five minute drive from the airport to the country sped by, and when Parker turned into the driveway the butterflies in my stomach rebelled. Good thing I’d slept through dinner on the plane. Stiff spine, Everly. You can do this. It hasn’t been your home for almost a year. It won’t be the same. Won’t feel the same smell the same, or look the same.
    The house was full of people. My former in-laws had been taking care of baby Mitchell, a live-in nanny supervised the trio, and Jayne and Parker had hired a full-time cook and a part-time housekeeper. Damn good thing it was a big house.
    A sigh fluttered from my chest. Nothing of Mitch, or me, remained on the main floor. Now it was cluttered with kid stuff, the scent of baby powder, and a mishmash of voices and excited squeals when little Mitchell spotted his parents. Jayne and Parker had made a family.
    Loneliness sucked.
    I offered the requisite hugs to my former in-laws, kissed the baby, met the nanny, cook, and housekeeper, and kept my hands to myself. Had anyone noticed? Other than grabbing Jayne’s shoulder at my condo, I hadn’t touched anyone. At all. I quickly made my excuses, went outside, and climbed the staircase to Mitch’s private quarters, where I planned to stay until I could gracefully exit this menagerie, hopefully with some of my sanity still intact.
    But there was still his grave. It was the main reason I’d avoided our former home, and probably why I’d never considered searching Mitch’s lair. His death was still too raw, too fresh, and my guilt was relentless. It would be impossible for me to avoid his final resting place while I was on the third floor. The deck looked directly over his burial site.
    The wheels of my suitcase clunked on each step, a counterpoint to my thudding heart. I hadn’t come anywhere near Mitch’s lair,