Loyalty Read Online Free PDF Page B

certain contacts, like Mark Lamont. She opted for a snug T-shirt, jeans that made her ass look glorious but covered her business, and wedge sandals with three-inch heels. She took special care with her makeup—more than just the usual mascara and lip gloss—and studied her reflection. Carl and Elaine were both attractive and had passed good looks on to all their offspring. Fina had her mother’s high cheekbones and her father’s wide mouth and ample lips. Taken individually, Fina’s features were imperfect, but together, they melded into a unique, beautiful face. Her skin was clear, and there was a faint smattering of freckles that emerged after time spent in the sun. The freckles, and the possibility of eventually looking like a saddlebag with eyes, prompted Fina’s regular sunscreen use. She was also blessed with a great figure and the metabolism of a hummingbird. Fina knew she was lucky, but hey, her family was nuts; she deserved a consolation prize in the genetic lottery.
    After working the phones for a few hours, Fina dropped her car with the valet at the Liberty Hotel rather than hoofing it from a nearby parking garage. The hotel was a former Boston city jail, which combined the original building with a new wing built for relaxation, not penance. She stepped onto the escalator and took a moment to appreciate Mark’s choice of location, an overt “fuck you” to everyone who thought he belonged in jail, which, quite honestly, he did. The escalator carried her up to the lobby with its soaring ceiling and enormous wrought-iron chandeliers. The brick walls of the original jail contrasted with the modern reception desk and conversation clusters of leather furniture. Metal catwalks circled the walls, and former cells had been incorporated into the lobby-level restaurant.
    Mark was easy to find; he exuded wealth and power, which may have been a function of the bodyguards who always lingered nearby or the impeccable tailoring of his suits. He was sitting on a black leather couch in the corner, and a waitress was leaning over him. Fina approached him and was swiftly met by the chest of one of his guards. Mark waved him aside, and she took a seat in the chair next to him.
    “Have you eaten, Fina? The skirt steak is out of this world.”
    “Just water, thanks,” she told the waitress, who was poured into a skintight black dress.
    Mark leaned over and kissed Fina on the cheek. “You look gorgeous, as always.”
    Unlike Fina, Mark wasn’t improving with age. He’d gained weight since she’d last seen him a couple of months before, and his hairline was receding. The sorta cute guy from high school was quickly becoming a distant memory. Mark was Scotty’s age and was part of a clot of boys who frequented the Ludlow household during high school. Carl was always working, and Elaine was always oblivious, which made their home the ideal spot for teenagers looking for trouble. Like Risa, Mark had stayed in touch over the years, and just as the Ludlows’ wealth and power increased, so had his. Mark’s relationship to the law, however, was more fluid than the Ludlows’.
    “You look prosperous,” Fina said.
    He grinned. “So.” He settled back into the couch and pulled his jacket across his wide stomach. “What do you need?”
    “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we can’t locate Rand’s wife, Melanie.”
    Mark cocked an eyebrow. “I hadn’t.”
    “Well, she’s dropped out of sight, and we’re starting to worry.”
    “The Ludlows are worried about something?”
    “Not worried exactly, but concerned. You know everything that goes on in this town. I thought if there’s something to hear, you’d have heard it.” Fina had yet to meet a man who didn’t fall for this line, even the jaded, savvy ones. “Here’s a picture,” she said, and reached into her bag.
    Mark laughed. “I know what she looks like, Fina.”
    “I know, but it might help jog your memory.”
    Mark took the picture and studied it for a