Justice Burning (Hellfire #2) Read Online Free PDF

I need shoes and something to wear besides this dress, so that I can find a job and a place to stay.”
    “An admirable goal.” Lola tapped a finger to her chin. “There’s a thrift store behind the fire station. If you don’t mind secondhand clothing, you can make that twenty-five go a lot farther than one pair of my cheapest shoes. And the proceeds from the sales go toward the women’s shelter.”
    Nash shook his head. “I forgot about the thrift store.”
    “I know how it feels to get out of a bad relationship. At least you got smart before you said I do.”
    Phoebe gave her a shaky smile.
    Lola touched her arm. “Sweetie, I have an apartment over my garage, if you’re interested.”
    Phoebe’s face brightened. “I am.” Just as quickly, the light faded. “But I don’t have any money.”
    Lola wrapped an arm around her. “I can waive the first month’s rent if you’re willing to clean it yourself. I’ve been using it as a place to store Christmas decorations for the shop.”
    “Thank you.” The young bride nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
    “Good.” Lola backed up a step. “Go find some shoes and clothes. I’ll have a key for you when you get back.”
    Nash wasn’t so sure he was happy Lola had offered the woman a place to stay. If he had his way, he would have bundled Phoebe onto a bus headed back the way she came. Now it appeared she was staying in town a little longer.
    “Come on. We need to get to the thrift shop before they close.” Nash grabbed Phoebe’s hand. At the contact with her hand, an electric charge raced up his arm. He told himself it was nothing. This woman was a stranger. An almost bride, who’d almost married another man, and probably wasn’t staying in Hellfire any longer than it took to figure out the town was too small for her. Most young people moved on, finding the town too cramped and the community too nosey.
    Yeah, she’d be gone before the week was out.
    No worries, right?
    That warm rush of sensations coursing through his veins was in reaction to the hot Texas sun, not the hot little bride holding his hand.
    Keep telling yourself that, Nash. Keeping telling yourself. Doing so wouldn’t make it true.

3
    A s Phoebe eased past Deputy Grayson, she caught a whiff of his cologne. No…not really cologne, but the fresh scent of soap, the outdoors and one hundred percent male. No other man she’d been around made her heart skip several beats and then rush into a pounding frenzy.
    She was embarrassed, overwrought and afraid of going to jail. At least that was her excuse for the way her breath caught and her pulse pounded whenever the deputy put his hands on her.
    In a hurry to move past him, she wasn’t paying much attention to the ground at her feet—not that she could see it below the yards of taffeta and tulle. Why had she picked this dress? She missed the step down from the curb, stumbled and felt a sharp stabbing pain in her big toe. “Ouch!” Phoebe’s knees buckled. She would have fallen except for the big hand that grabbed her elbow and held her up.
    “Are you okay?” Grayson bent over her, his brows knit.
    She shook her head and pulled the skirt of her dress away from her foot. Deep red blood dripped onto the bright white of the wedding gown still draped across the ground. “I must have stepped on glass or something.”
    “Is it still in your foot?” he asked, bending closer to study her bleeding toe. “Well, damn. You can’t go bleeding all over town.” Once again, he scooped her into his arms.
    That familiar scent of him wrapped around her with his arms. Phoebe’s heartbeat did that quirky thing of stopping and then pounding hard as if she were racing for a finish line. “I’m so sorry to be such a mess. I didn’t think before I left…” She shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. Before one could drop, she glanced away, refusing to appear weak in front of such a strong, virile man. If she wanted to be independent, she sure as