The Ultimate Merger Read Online Free PDF Page B

return the man’s smile. “Let’s wrap this up,” he
said, casting an impatient glance at his watch.
    “Certainly, sir. I’ll put together your packet of documents. As a
reminder, if we find any errors later, you’re required to…”
    Renaldo tuned out the attorney. All he could think about was
Sabrina. He didn’t want to leave without saying a proper goodbye. And he wanted
to talk to her about their relationship. He’d be back and forth to the United
States now, and he intended to continue seeing her. Did she want to continue
seeing him?

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    Sabrina stepped out of the shower
and rubbed lotion all over her skin. She sprayed on a light fragrance and finger-combed
her hair, loosening the curls and forcing them into a position that framed her
face.
    Now she had Jewel settled in a
treatment facility, she felt more at ease and planned to return to work on
Monday.
    She donned her green silk robe and
stepped out of the bathroom into the master bedroom of her two-bedroom
apartment. She didn’t need the two bedrooms, but she kept them because of
Jewel. Her cousin had come and gone out of her life over the years. Whenever Jewel
cleaned up, she always stayed with Sabrina.
    When they were younger, safety and
cleanliness were a luxury they couldn’t afford. As two parentless teens, they’d
struggled to make ends meet.
    Jewel’s downward slide started
slowly. First, underage drinking. Then weed. Then the dreaded crack. During
Sabrina’s freshman year in college, Jewel, two years younger than she, had
fallen prey to the same drug that had taken the life of Sabrina’s mother.
    Only in recent years had Sabrina herself
started drinking. Drugs had never been an option after seeing how it destroyed
her family and the people around her. Jewel had always been a daredevil and
rebellious. Her rebellious spirit had been her downfall.
    Sabrina had no intention of ever
turning her back on her, though. As far as she was concerned, Jewel was her
sister, just like their mothers had been sisters. She would always look out for
her and make sure she was safe. Maybe this stint in rehab would work. It had
to. Her cousin’s appearance had scared her so much this time, she worried Jewel
would end up dead.
    She walked into the living room
with a black dress in hand, pulled the ironing board from the closet, and set
it up. Now she had to talk to Renaldo. She’d avoided him long enough. He was
leaving the country tomorrow, and she couldn’t let him leave without seeing him
one more time.
    She loved him, and she wanted to
say a proper goodbye. At this point, she didn’t even know if he wanted to see
her, but she had to try.
    A knock sounded on the door. She wasn’t
expecting anyone. She set the dress on the ironing board.
    “Who is it?”
    No answer, but the knock came
again, louder this time, sounding like a sledgehammer.
    She stood in the hallway for a
moment, and then she tiptoed to the door and peered through the peep hole.
    Renaldo! Her heart skipped a beat.  
    She undid the safety latch and
swung open the door. “Renny!” The smile on her face died a quick death when he
stared back at her with an angry scowl.
    “Where have you been?”
    Her charming Brazilian looked like
he wanted to wring her neck.
    ****
    Renaldo pushed his way into the
apartment.
    “I told you, I had a family
emergency.”
    “A family emergency?” he repeated.
He took a look at the ironing board and the little black dress draped across it
and pressed his lips together in a thin line. His head rotated back to her in
her silk robe, smelling freshly showered and wearing the scent of pink lilies
he loved so much. “Looks to me like you have plans tonight.”
    “No,” she said, shaking her head
emphatically. “It’s not what you think. I planned to call you, to see if I
could come see you.”
    “Was that before or after your
date?” Jealousy ate at him, grinding in his gut.
    “I don’t have a date,” Sabrina
said. “How could you think