Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
There hadn’t been many of those.
A dull throbbing pain began in the base of her head. She rose and took two ibuprofen pills and settled back in to work. She even ate lunch in the office, opting not to go out, which would have necessitated taking someone with her. Jeff stopped in to say hi and see how she was doing, and Liza was grateful for the normalcy that surrounded their working relationship. No awkward moments between them.
At five o’clock, she was still digging through outstanding work from the week of her injury but making steady progress. She decided to stay late and keep at it. She had nowhere else to be anyway, and it wouldn’t be the first time she stayed late.
Knowing it was Nash Barron’s day to be her designated driver, she called and explained. Then she texted Dare and asked him to pick her up when his shift ended at ten. He, of course, asked if someone else would be in the office, which prompted her to make the rounds to see if anyone else would be torturing themselves on a Friday night. Jeff was waiting for changes on the Mystic job and said he’d be there at least as long as she was.
Liza texted Dare back to let him know she had someone to look out for her. And since he’d asked, she took pleasure in letting him know who. If she could be jealous of Cara, he could stew a bit over Jeff. Even if her relationship with Dare was over. With that thought, a pulsing in her head reminded her the pain hadn’t gone away.
She and Jeff ordered in take-out Chinese, which they ate together while discussing various jobs. When they finished, Jeff went to check the fax machine and Liza headed back to her office.
She was busy looking over specs when she heard a knock on her door. She glanced up to see a dark-haired man looking at her. “Sorry to disturb you, but—”
“Do I know you?” she asked warily.
He shook his head. “No, but you come highly recommended. You see, my parents know your parents. They met in Florida. My aunt left me her house in her will. It’s an old Tudor and there’s a possibility it has historical significance. I want to renovate, but the town has been holding me up. Your father said you’d be happy to help.”
“And you decided to come here on a Friday night?” She tightened her hands around her desk.
“I came up to check out the house, and when I passed by here, I saw the lights on. Thought I’d see if I could get lucky and find someone in.”
Since the firm was located in a free-standing building that looked more like an old home than an office, his excuse sounded plausible. “It’s late, Mr…?”
“Barton. James Barton. And I promise I won’t take much of your time. Can we just talk for a minute and then set up an appointment?” he asked.
He’d come in person and if she sent him away, there was a chance she’d not only lose potential business, she might also ruin any goodwill seeing him now might create.
“Of course. Come in.”
He stepped into the office and immediately shut the door behind him, so quietly she barely heard the click.
Liza narrowed her gaze and remained standing, her nerves suddenly screaming. But she wasn’t alone. Jeff was next door and so was his assistant, she reminded herself, forcing air into her lungs. Besides, this man didn’t look anything like the thug who’d stopped her on Ethan’s driveway.
She stepped out from behind her desk. “Can I get you something to drink because I could use some water.” And some breathing room. Whether or not she was overreacting to a closed door, she didn’t care.
She planned to ease closer to the exit, but he stopped her with a hand firmly on her wrist.
Her mouth went dry. “Excuse me.” She stared at his large hand wrapped around her much smaller wrist.
“I just wanted to give you a message for your brother. Or for you. At this point it doesn’t matter,” he said, his friendly tone gone.
Dizziness swamped her.
Liza dealt with many things in her life, but real threats and confrontation weren’t among them and she was scared. “Say what you have to and leave,” she said, trying to sound brave.
And probably failing.
His grip tightened. “The fifty grand your brother owes?”
Fifty thousand? “What about it?”
His expression turned menacing. “My boss isn’t happy. Seeing as today’s Friday, you or your brother have until Monday night to come up with the cash.” The “or else” was implied. “Understand?”
Liza thought she nodded. Her ears had begun to ring, a loud sound reverberating inside her head. Not good, she realized when little black dots swirled in front of her eyes.
“Say it,” the man said. “You understand?”