The Last Execution Read Online Free PDF Page A

Then she’d hang. The vision of her kicking feet kick, her tongue swelling, and the life oozing from her cold eyes had kept him going for seven years.
    “I’d like to discuss something with you before we join Mother for dinner.” Every nerve ending sizzled. “Something of great interest to you both.”
    “What’s that, son?”
    Blood raced through his veins. Rocking the old man’s world was going to be fun. Jason had mentally rehearsed the words, measured each one for impact. He savored the moment the way he had the fine whiskey, rolled the words around on his tongue, and tasted victory.
    “An heir to the Carrington fortune.”
    ****
    Friday, April 23, 8:15 a.m .
    Olivia ruffled Romeo’s hair and dropped onto the chair next to Leigh. “Hello, gang.”
    “Morning.” Leigh interpreted Olivia’s warm greeting to mean acceptance. Before Leigh started a conversation, a thundercloud named J.T. blew into the room and hovered over Romeo.
    “You fixed this disgusting crap, didn’t you?” J.T. held a coffee mug out for evidence. He whipped a chair around backward and straddled it. “You’re incapable of fixing decent coffee. From now on, tell me when the pot’s empty.”
    “What’s wrong with it?” Romeo smiled wide-eyed. His expression made him look eighteen years old instead of twenty-five.
    “Nothing.” Leigh swallowed a chuckle and jumped to Romeo’s defense. The temptation to tease J.T. was too great. She’d tried to drink the sludge and poured hers out. No way was she admitting he was right.
    “You want to grow hair on your chest?” J.T. hiked one eyebrow up in a challenge.
    Leigh and Olivia glanced at each other then laughed.
    “She has good taste.” Romeo rewarded the group with another toothy smile.
    “So you say.”
    J.T. frowned. The mischievous light in his eyes told a different story. Apparently, he and Romeo had frequent oral sparring matches. While they waited for Casey, Leigh took the opportunity to satisfy her curiosity. “How did you get the nickname Romeo when your name’s Tobias?”
    “God, don’t ask,” J.T. grumbled.
    Romeo waved J.T. off. “Because the ladies love me. A fact certain people can’t accept. Plus, I can romance information from the network when no one else in this office can.” He sent a challenging look at J.T.
    “He’s a geek. And he needs a personal secretary.” J.T. pushed his cup across the table, grimaced, and slid his tongue over his lip.
    Leigh’s gaze locked on J.T.’s mouth. A ball of heat started in her stomach and shot south. The reaction surprised her, and in a way, came as a relief. She hadn’t experienced that particular stirring in years. Maybe there was hope for her after all. Maybe someday she’d welcome a man’s touch. Maybe. After Ethan was older.
    “I get a lot of phone calls from women,” Romeo continued. “And J.T. gets—wait, let me think…right. None.”
    Olivia, who kept glancing toward the doorway, interrupted. “Here comes our leader.”
    “Sorry, folks.” Casey hustled in, dropping his briefcase on his desk before joining them at the conference table. “I had an early morning call from an old partner. What did I miss?”
    “Not a damn thing.” J.T. crossed his arms over his expansive chest. “We didn’t stop by the precinct yesterday. I’m looking forward to chatting with the boys in blue.”
    “I, on the other hand, had a productive day.” Romeo preened, running his hand through thick, wavy dark hair. “Mrs. Slocum apparently falls down a lot.” He held his hands up to Casey’s raised eyebrows. “I didn’t hack into her medical records. However, she’s had more than one brush with the stairs at her house. Broke her jaw once.”
    “Bastard,” J.T. muttered.
    “If you’re referring to Brian Slocum, I concur.” Romeo flipped the page on his iPad. “Mrs. Slocum writes a check for these ‘accidents’ instead of filing an insurance claim.”
    “Good information. How does it get us closer to the