Renegade Millionaire Read Online Free PDF

of him. “He lives with his dad?”
    â€œNo. He’s with my mom in the Texas Panhandle.”
    â€œThat’s a long way from here.”
    â€œYes, but I don’t have a choice at the moment.”
    Rio hated the pain in her voice. “Why not?”
    She sighed, an impatient one. “Just look at where I live. It’s not fit for most adults, much less a child.”
    â€œThen why don’t you move in with your mother?” As if that were any of his business.
    She shrugged and continued to stare out the windshield. “I wish I could, but I can’t. There are almost no job opportunities in my hometown. I have a lot of debts, and working in a larger city gives me more pay. I’m hoping to get back on my feet this year, find a better place to live so I can move my son back here with me.” She sat forward and pointed. “Up that next alley. You can park beside my car. It’s the ugly white one.”
    Rio turned the truck up the potholed pavement and to the space next to the car she’d indicated. Behind them sat a brown brick building, three floors high, shutters hanging out of kilter from windows covered by burglar bars. The scraggly lawn was littered with debris and so was the alley, with several old tires stacked against the building among broken beer bottles.
    â€œWelcome to paradise,” Joanna said as she opened the door.
    Rio got out and encountered something hard beneath his foot. He looked down to find a used syringe under the toe of his boot, thankful he’d stepped on the plastic, not the needle. Kicking it aside, he walked to her car.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with it?” he asked.
    She hung back at the front of his truck. “I don’t know. It won’t turn over.”
    â€œPop the hood.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œPop the hood. I’ll take a look.”
    Reluctantly she withdrew her keys and unlocked thecar door, then slipped inside and tripped the release. Rio lifted the hood but the muted rays coming from the guard light didn’t afford him enough illumination.
    Joanna joined him at the hood and leaned over the engine beside him. Having her so near didn’t help his concentration. “I can’t see,” he said. “I need a flashlight.”
    â€œI don’t have one in the car.”
    Their arms brushed and Rio nearly bumped his head when he straightened. “You should always carry a flashlight. I keep one in the truck.”
    â€œI suppose you’re always prepared.”
    He grinned. “Always. With everything.” Except he hadn’t been prepared for her, especially not his immediate reaction when she stood so close, or his need to kiss her once more. But he wouldn’t. Not now.
    Glancing over his shoulder at the apartment building, he asked, “Which one is yours?”
    â€œSecond floor. Apartment 202.”
    He braced his hands on the edge of the engine and leaned into them. “Tell you what. You go on up and make some coffee and I’ll see if I can tell what’s wrong here.”
    â€œYou really don’t have to do that. Besides, I don’t have the money to pay you.”
    He straightened. “You can pay me with some coffee.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œNo argument. And hurry. I might fall asleep on my feet if I don’t get some caffeine soon.”
    â€œOkay. I’ll bring it down.”
    â€œI’ll come up and get it.”
    She looked more than a little worried. “Are you sure?”
    â€œUnless you want me to come up now and check out the place, make sure there aren’t any more criminal types waiting for you.” Considering the surroundings, Rio realized that might be a real possibility, and he hated the fact that she had to come to this place every night alone.
    She started toward the entrance without giving him a second glance. “I’ll be fine until you get there.”
    As Rio watched her walk away, the slight sway of her