Queen of Diamonds Read Online Free PDF Page A

account. I’ll get the door.
    “Females and cards,” he snorted under his breath as he made his way to the door.
    Kendall listened with half an ear.
    “Mr. Theron?”
    At the sound of the whiskey-smooth voice coming from the doorway, the back of Kendall’s neck prickled and her poker face collapsed. She managed to hold onto her cards…barely.
    “Yes?” her dad asked.
    “Is your wife at home?”
    “What would you be wanting with my wife?” Bill Theron demanded.
    “I’m her employer and she hasn’t been to work in a couple of days.”
    “Sonny, I think you’ve got the wrong house.”
    For a moment hope rose in Kendall’s breast. Then gasped and died as her father added, “Did you say she hadn’t been to work in a couple of days?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Are you the clutch-fist who employs my daughter?”
    “I believe I may have the wrong address. Sorry to have bothered you.”
    Kendall winced. No doubt it was the clutch-fist that threw him. Truth was she received a decent salary.
    “Are you that writer feller?” her dad asked.
    “Uh, yeah.” Doubt still persisted in Logan’s voice.
    “And you’re looking for Kendall Theron?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Appears you’re in the right place.
    “I’m glad to get this opportunity to talk to you. It’s unconscionable the way you have her gallivanting all over the country and don’t pay her better.”
    “Excuse me?” Logan’s voice rose a notch higher.
    Kendall put her cards to her face and groaned. She could almost see Logan’s eyebrows rising along with his voice.
    “I said…”
    “No, I heard what you said. I just don’t understand.”
    “You must be a smart man to write all those books. What’s so hard to understand?”
    Kendall rose to her feet.
    “Do you fold, Mommy?”
    “Yes, baby.” In every imaginable way .  As Caroline raked in her chips, Kendall went to the door. “What are you doing here, Mr. Hunter?”
    “There you are.” Her dad turned in her direction his hand on the door.
    “Ms. Theron,” Logan began.
    This time Kendall didn’t correct him.
    “May I come in?”
    Caroline came to the door clutching her prized poker chips.
    Logan blinked. But all he said was, “Is your husband sick? Is that why you haven’t been to work?”
    She gave him a repressive look. As if.
    “What’s a husband?” Caroline looked up at her, her expression inquisitive.
    Before Kendall could respond, her dad quipped, “What your Mommy doesn’t have.”
    Bill Theron turned to Logan. “Not sure why you thought she was married but you might as well come in. Now about that raise.”
    “Raise?”
    “Yes, raise. My daughter is sorely underpaid for all the work she does for you. Where would you be without her?”
    “Exactly where I’m at now, on her doorstep begging her to come back to work. I’m desperate.”
    Her dad’s head bobbed up and down decisively. “You’d have difficulty finding anyone else out there with her experience and work ethic.”
    “Point taken, what did you have mind?” Logan stepped into the entryway, his expression wary.
    “Ten thousand.”
    “Ten thousand?” His eyes widened.
    “It’s a drop in the bucket compared to what you make while my daughter is traipsing all over the country for you.”
    “Traipsing all over the country?”
    “Do you have a hearing problem? You keep repeating everything I say. Now about that raise.”
    “I’m more interested in her traipsing all over the country.”
    “Of course, you are. What’s it going to be? Ten thousand or are you going to start doing your own traipsing?”
    Logan, who’d been looking at her father as if he’d escaped from an asylum, turned and studied her as he rubbed the cleft in his chin.
    Her ears grew hot and her eye began to twitch.  Caught in a trap of her own making, she fought a strong desire to flee, anywhere. 
    After a long, long moment, he turned his attention back to her dad. “You drive a hard bargain but I know when I’m beat. Done,