CUL-DE-SAC (On The Edge Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

not bothering to apologize
for interrupting the tête-à-tête. If people waited for Tony to be alone without any chick on his arm, nothing
would ever get done around here, Xan decided."Yes."
"We will continue this... later Tony." The woman purred, sending him
a coquettish look over her shoulder, completely ignoring Xan's presence.
"We sure will, Sugar!" Tony agreed with a wide grin and did not speak
until she left, closing the door behind herself.
    Music from downstairs was cut instantly;
only the slightest bass vibrations could be felt in what Tony liked to call his
'den'.
"Great job tonight, but it's hardly surprising."
"Thanks." Xan shrugged.
    As much as it was the truth, he knew he
wasn't called in here just to hear praise alone. Nothing was as easy as that in
life.
    Everything had its price.
    Everything and everybody and it was
something he had learned the hard way.
"I wanted to make sure we are on the same page, Xan."
"Aren't we always?" He folded his arms which reminded him that he had
yet to take a shower and pull some clothes on, but something or someone kept
interrupting him.
    A grin wanted to tug at his lips when he
shoved his hand into the pocket of his Martial Arts pants and found the camera
there, but he nipped it in the bud, not wanting to explain the whole situation
to Tony.
    But he was curious to see how the pictures
she took looked like.
    He already knew he was going to see himself
on them, still suspecting that she might have been a journalist attempting to
write a story about their club. Certainly wouldn't be the first one to try
that, he thought.
"You are like a son I've never had Xan," Tony said, but his eyes were
hard and calculating.
    Bullshit , Xan thought but knew better than
to voice his opinion.
    There was a time he saw Tony as his savior,
but over the years he understood he was nothing more to the man than a useful
tool. It didn't bother him as long as he could benefit from this relationship
as well.
    They were connected in ways they didn't
talk often about, but it was there all the same.
"Am I in trouble?" Tony smirked when Xan remained silent.
    "If we are back to this... you know
where I stand."
    "And I told you it was just an
incident. Drugs are not part of our club." Tony folded his arms on his
chest looking at him expectantly.
    He was lying, Xan thought.
    After more than a decade, he knew him well enough
to recognize it and it pissed him off more than the dealing in the first place.
“It’s your business.” He said only, because after all that was the truth.
“You are not exactly a Boy Scout yourself Xan.” Tony reminded him sharply.
“And I’ve never pretended to be one. I just told you I don’t want to have
anything to do with this side of the biz.”
“I remember the time when you were not as… particular.” Tony noticed.
“Yeah, well, I was young and naive once.”
“Naive my ass! You were young though, I give you that much,” Tony said.
They both chuckled and just for a moment it felt like old times, Xan thought.
“I will make sure this… issue will stay under wraps,” Tony added and no
matter how hypocritical it was on his part, it was all fine and dandy with him,
Xan decided, nodding in acknowledgment.
“I am done for tonight,” he said and turned away to leave.
“I’ve heard we had another problem tonight?” Tony’s words stopped him.
“A problem?”
“An enigmatic woman with more luck than common sense taking pictures?”
    Xan couldn’t stop himself this time and
just grinned remembering the cool look in the almond-shaped blue eyes, the hot
imprint of her slender body pressed tightly against his own.
    She wasn’t so remote then, he thought.
    His thumb stroked the leather belt once
before pulling the camera out of his pocket and he let it swing in his hold.
“There is no problem,” he said shortly and Tony laughed.
“This is why I need you Xan, we are a team you and I,” came his parting words.

 
    CHAPTER 4
     
    Catalina’s eyes were closed when she