Asking for Trouble Read Online Free PDF

children’s lives in his hands like she did every day. Jackson had lived up to all Gage’s perceptions and expectations, but Morgan Tremayne was definitely a surprise.
    â€œAnother drink?” Gage stood, gesturing to the young man hovering nearby that he could take Gage’s stool. She smiled, shuffling and spinning the cards like a Las Vegas pro over and under with one hand. She’d cleaned him out. A few hands of strip poker and he’d be naked.
    â€œJust water, thanks.” She winked at him, surprising herself, it seemed, as her cheeks flushed again and she refocused on her players.
    â€œBe right back.”
    Going in search of the bar made him feel like a bear stalking salmon upstream. The foyer had emptied of latecomers as everyone mingled their way through the enormous floor plan of the Tremayne house. The home he’d grown up in would have fit at least ten times over on the first level of the Tremayne’s dwelling alone.
    Floor-to-ceiling marble columns outlined the wainscoted hallway as he passed room after room offering everything from baccarat to roulette wheels. The Pai Gow tables were four deep with partygoers waiting to take their chances. All that was missing was James Bond ponying up his Aston Martin as bid collateral.
    He found the bar situated in the solarium at the far end of the house, the glass-paneled walls allowing for a stunning view of the lighted and meticulously cared for rose garden.
    â€œMy mother’s coping mechanism.” The man who joined Gage at the bar followed his gaze and gave a smile that triggered the same twinkle, the same dimple in the chin that Morgan possessed. Same coloring, same vibrant green eyes, and a tall, lithe physique. “Can’t tell you how many hours she lost herself out there, tending to those prickly bushes. Sometimes I think she’s still tending them, just not in the same way.” The man turned, held out his hand. “Nathan Tremayne. I’m head of security at the family firm.”
    â€œGage Juliano. I was just getting your sister another drink.”
    â€œWater, huh?” Nathan nodded to the glass the bartender set in front of Gage. “She must be having a good night. When she starts guzzling the diet soda, watch out. Morgan on a caffeine high is both a wonder and a terror to behold.”
    Gage grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
    The back of his neck tingled seconds before a loud voice boomed, “Inspector.”
    Gage kept a casual elbow on the polished wooden bar as he turned to find a group of tuxedo-clad men watching him, their ages ranging from barely off training wheels to somewhere around Father Time.
    â€œGentlemen,” Gage responded, determined to keep his expression and his attitude respectful. He’d memorized every Nemesis file and easily put victims’ names to faces. “What can I do for you?”
    â€œNothing, my boy, nothing. Nathan, good to see you again. James Van Keltin, Esquire.” A heavy hand slapped Gage’s shoulder as the man who stood as wide as he did tall set his glass down. “Rumor has it you’re reopening the Nemesis investigation. Dirty business, getting into the mud with that scoundrel.”
    Gage leaned away to avoid being assaulted by the high-priced defense lawyer’s overabundance of bargain-basement cologne. Being called “boy” reminded him of his college days when he’d caddied at the country club for extra cash, and who used the word
scoundrel
these days?
    â€œCan’t reopen what was never closed.” Gage kept his tone light. He knew flying under the radar and being underestimated was the best way to gather information. No need to change flight plans now. “But you hear correctly. We’ll be starting from the beginning, going over every incident, every statement.”
    â€œSmart thinking.” Nathan nodded. “Nemesis won’t know what hit him.”
    Van Keltin chuckled.