In the Shadow of Evil Read Online Free PDF

steal his heart and let himself be weakened. Not again. Not after what happened to his mother.
    Talk about the pathway to destruction.
    But Maddox had learned long ago how to distract his partner. "Hey, why don't you head home and get the laundry done for Margie?"
    "Touché." Houston stood, popping his gum. "Why don't we go visit Ms. Caldwell instead?"
    Maddox shoved to his feet as well and reached for his coat from the back of his chair. "We haven't left yet?"

    LAYLA SHUCKED OFF HER coat, grabbed files from the wooden cabinet, and spread them over her desk.
    Bright sunlight, a shock after weeks of nothing but rain, burst through the windows of Taylor Construction. The wind whistled outside the brick building. Most construction companies officed up in double-wides or prefabs but not Layla. Her father had taught her that a craftsman's home and office was his best advertising. So when she'd opened her own business, she made sure she built an office building her father would be proud of.
    "Could we turn up the heat a little?" Alana shivered. "It's freezing in here."
    Sighing, Layla flipped on the heat on the thermostat. "It's Saturday. Not like we're normally in here on a weekend. Not in this season anyway." She spun back to the desk and knocked over a montage picture frame in her haste. It clattered to the tile floor.
    Alana retrieved it, glancing at the photos. "Acrylic instead of glass, smart idea." She tapped her fingernails on the frame. "You know, you really should update these pictures. You still have ones with Randy in here."
    Oh, splinters. Layla stilled. She couldn't explain that she'd deliberately left those pictures in the montage. To remind her that no matter how handsome and genuine someone appeared, he always had an ulterior motive. She couldn't let herself lose focus of what was important.
    Ever.
    She took the frame from Alana, shoved it in the top right drawer, then hunched over the desk, scanning the papers.
    All the files, contracts, and details of the Hope-for-Homes project.
    "I didn't mean to upset you," Alana whispered.
    "You didn't." She wasn't upset. Well, not really. It was more like she'd recognized the loss of ever getting a happily ever after in the love department. She was more grieving than upset.
    "I'm really proud of you for staying with the competitive dancing after . . . well, after you and Randy split up."
    Layla smiled, belying the pain. "I enjoy it. Even more without him." She chuckled. "I like having partners who are interested in good moves on the floor without the romantic entanglement."
    But sometimes, late at night when Layla was alone, she did think about men and romance. About being alone.
    "You know, you really ought to let me fix you up. There's this coworker of Cameron's—"
    "No." A geeky software creator nerd? Cameron was great and all, really loved Alana and was good to her, but that just wasn't Layla's cup of tea. No, thanks.
    "Well, if you change your mind . . ."
    "You'll be the first person to know." Layla winked at her sister, then went back to the stack of files. What kind of man was her cup of tea? She'd thought it was Randy—tall, dark, and handsome. But look how that'd turned out. Now she just didn't know. She wanted someone who appreciated her as a woman. Someone who made her feel safe. Someone who made her feel loved and accepted for who she was.
    "I don't know what you're looking for." Alana flipped through the electrician's contract.
    Layla breathed a sigh, not wanting to dredge up old wounds right now. "I want to know every single person who worked on the project. Every electrician, plumber, construction worker."
    "Why?"
    Was her sister really that naive? Layla denied the sigh struggling to escape. "Because someone knew that house was empty. He knew it was complete but hadn't been moved into yet. And the first place to look is the workers. They knew the schedule better than anyone."
    Alana handed her the electrician's paperwork. "Isn't this a job for the