Playing His Dangerous Game Read Online Free PDF

find out, and that’s by answering the phone.’
    ‘No. Not yet.’
    ‘This is my home, not yours. I’ll do what I like. You can’t tell me what to do.’
    Royce shook his head. ‘This is your father’s house, and he’s put me in charge.’
    Again it was too late for Shara to do anything. The answering machine picked up for a second time. The silence lastedfor a couple of minutes this time, before the caller slammed the phone down again.
    Royce watched Shara, who was studiously staring at her clenched hands.
    Her hair really was magnificent. As dark as a raven’s wing and as glossy as the finest satin. His fingers itched to touch it—so much so that he curled his fingers into his palms.
    The curve of her cheek was exposed. The skin was milky-white, absolutely flawless and ridiculously vulnerable.
    How a cheekbone could be vulnerable Royce wasn’t exactly sure, but that was how it struck him.
    The phone rang a third time.
    Royce studied Shara carefully.
    She was staring at the phone as if it was going to jump up and bite her.
    Her body language was easy to read. It was painting a very different picture from what she’d told him that morning.
    ‘You lied to me earlier,’ he said, in a conversational tone that hid the anger tightening his gut.
    He valued honesty above everything else. Not only did he see too much dishonesty in his line of work, but after what Fiona had done to him any form of deception was abhorrent to him.
    Her head snapped around. ‘I beg your pardon?’
    Royce crossed one ankle over the other, rested his hands on his thighs. ‘You said your father was over-reacting to the situation, but it’s clear to me that you’re terrified of your ex-husband.’
    She looked startled, then wary. She issued a laugh that fell well short of being humorous, although he was pretty sure that was what she was trying to convey because she’d unclenched her fists and made a concerted effort to look relaxed.
    ‘Nonsense,’ she dismissed.
    ‘It’s too late to deny it. I believe what I see above what I’mtold. My eyes don’t lie, whereas people do. I saw your reaction just now.’
    She tossed her head. ‘What you saw is my frustration at being told not to answer the phone in my own home.’
    Royce shook his head. ‘Sorry, but I don’t believe you.’
    She looked about to say something, but at that moment the answering machine picked up.
    Shara looked away from him, back to the phone.
    Royce grew rigid in his chair as a male voice started speaking. Although
speaking
was a polite word for the filth that came spewing down the phone line.
    Foul language and even fouler content.
    About how he had no intention of letting Shara go. About the fact that he’d rather kill her first.
    Royce tried to look past the surface stuff to the deeper meaning and intent beneath the words.
    What he was listening to convinced him that Steve Brady was a sociopathic bully.
    Bullying was all about power and control.
    Bullies also typically targeted people who tended not to retaliate, who in fact responded in such a way as to feed their negative behaviour.
    Which surprised him.
    Shara was not that kind of person.
    Their short acquaintance demonstrated that she gave as good as she got. He couldn’t imagine her allowing herself to be bullied.
    But then everything wasn’t always as it seemed.
    As he should know.
    He’d fallen for a woman who’d pretended to be something she wasn’t.
    He knew first-hand that looks could be deceiving.
    In Shara’s case he’d seen her fear a moment ago.
    It had been genuine. He would bet his career on it.
    The question was: why was she pretending she wasn’t?
    There had to be a reason.
    There was
always
a reason.
    That was something he’d learned well before starting the Royce Agency. People always had a motive for doing something.
    Royce rose to his feet.
    Shara’s head shot in his direction so fast he was surprised she didn’t pull a muscle. ‘What are you doing?’
    ‘I’m going to talk to