Dangerous Ladies Read Online Free PDF

and small goods inside the glass counter, and everything had a fluorescent tag on it with the price written in black Magic Marker. Brandi smiled at the Asian man behind the cash register and at the two handsome young men lounging by the gun counter.
    This was almost fun.
    Well, except for the fact she had to go to a major charity function tonight . . . alone. But she had a plan. Man, oh, man, did she have a plan.

    “Mr. Nguyen?” she said to the man behind the counter.
    “Yes.” The owner was short with black, black hair, dark eyes, and beautiful golden skin.
    She placed the black velvet box on the counter. “Eric Lerner at my apartment building said you were honest and would give me a fair price.”
    “I appreciate the business. Thank Eric for me,” Mr. Nguyen said.
    “So how much?” She pushed the box toward the pawnshop owner. Into the phone she said, “Alan got his girlfriend pregnant and had to marry her in a quickie Vegas wedding.”
    “Was Elvis involved?” Kim shot back.
    “Dunno.”
    “Wait, wait, wait,” Kim said. “That bloodless little weenie Alan got a girl pregnant and had to get married?”
    Now Kim had surprised Brandi. “Didn’t you like him?”
    “You know how doctors always have this cachet, this intensity, this certainty that makes you pay attention to their every word?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Alan would have made a good accountant.”
    Brandi gave a spurt of laughter.
    The pawnshop owner wasn’t really old, maybe in his sixties, but he had that palsy that some people get. His fingers were shaking as he placed the jeweler’s glass in his eye and peered at the diamond.
    “You don’t sound particularly brokenhearted.” Kim sounded cautious.
    “I’m sure brokenhearted will come later. Right now I’m just furious. I guess it’s the prospect of pawning my diamond and knowing that Alan will have to pay through the nose to get it back.”
    “Hmm. Well. That’s good.”
    Brandi knew Kim had made some judgment, the sense of which escaped her, but she didn’t care. As long as she got her revenge. Because no matter what they taught in ethics class in law school, revenge tasted really good.

    “A fabulous diamond in a popular setting,” Mr. Nguyen said.
    “You can easily resell it,” Brandi agreed.
    In her ear, Kim asked, “What did Tiffany say about Alan and his new wife?”
    “I haven’t exactly told her.”
    “You didn’t tell your mother?” Kim sounded incredulous.
    “I can’t. She’s going to say, ‘I told you so. I told you you have to cater to a man. I told you you couldn’t act as if your career is as important as his. I told you to be a Stepford wife.’”
    “I think you’re doing your mom a disservice.” As usual when they talked about Tiffany, Kim sounded calm and wise.
    “Last night when I hadn’t heard a word from him since I moved, she was defending him.” And while that had riled Brandi last night, today it made her furious.
    “Last night you intended to marry him and she wanted desperately to make sure your marriage worked, so she counseled you the best she knew how.”
    “I suppose.” Kim could be right. Probably was right. But Brandi wasn’t in the mood to be fair.
    “Have you talked to our father?” Kim used the deeply mocking tone she always used when she talked about Daddy.
    “About Alan? I don’t think so.” Brandi ladled on the sarcasm.
    “No, for his birthday.”
    “Damn. I forgot again.” And Tiffany had reminded her.
    “Don’t blame you. I girded my loins and made the call. Bastard didn’t even bother to pick up, so I left a message.”
    “Aren’t you lucky?”
    “That’s what I tell myself.”
    Mr. Nguyen was staring at the diamond as if deep in thought and tapping his chin.
    “I have the paperwork,” Brandi told him. She’d searched half the night for the sheet that rated the diamond’s clarity and flawlessness.
    He barely glanced at it. “Okay, I’ll give you eight thousand.”
    “Dollars?” Brandi was stunned.