Stroke of Luck - Opal Carew Page 0,16

go. No one who could help her.

Her phone beeped. She walked to the side table by the couch and picked it up. Who would be texting her?

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the display.

Maurice.

What could he possibly want?

She opened the text app and saw a number of texts from him.

He couldn’t possibly be apologizing and trying to get her back after all that he’d done. Could he?

Not that she’d take him back.

As she started reading the texts, her chest tightened.

Don’t bother coming back to work. You’re fired.

Maurice owned the company she worked for. She shouldn’t be surprised that he wouldn’t let her continue working there.

And don’t bother looking for a job elsewhere in town. You won’t get one.

Her heart sank. That was no idle threat. He had enough clout in Lachelle to ensure no one hired her. No one wanted to be in Maurice’s or his family’s bad graces. They essentially owned the town.

BTW, the bank is calling in the loan on your town house. If you can’t pay off the remaining balance, they’ll foreclose.

Shock surged through her. Could he really be that vindictive?

His family owned the bank that held the mortgage on her home. The only way she could get the money to repay the loan would be to sell the town house, and she was absolutely certain Maurice could arrange it so no one would buy it. No real estate agent in town would list it, she was sure, and trying to sell it on her own would be futile.

It felt like her insides had been ripped out of her body and shredded.

She sat on the bed staring at the phone, her hand trembling.

Oh, God, what was she going to do now?

* * *

Quinn raked his hand through his hair as he paced the bedroom, anger flooding through him.

What the hell was wrong with him?

That wasn’t the kind of man he was. Bullying a woman. Almost stripping off her bra. All because his emotions were totally out of control.

Anger. Anxiety. Lust.

His cock wanted April, but his brain knew better. The battle taking place between the two was throwing him wildly off balance.

Fuck, he realized that with the position she was in, he could easily persuade her into his bed. But he would never take advantage of her vulnerable position. And no matter what, winding up in bed with her was too dangerous a game, given his past feelings for her.

He strode to the shower and washed off the chlorine from the pool, then toweled off. As he walked back into the bedroom, he heard his cell vibrate on the dresser.

I’m ready for some gambling. Bring April and meet me in the casino in 30m.

Quinn grinned. Austin loved to gamble, and he was good at it. He had an instinct, and it usually paid off.

Quinn walked into the living room. April was still in her bedroom, and he was worried that after what had happened, she might stay in there to avoid him. He frowned. Austin wouldn’t like it if Quinn left April here, even if she wanted to stay. Austin would probably insist on coming up to get her.

He walked down the hall and tapped on the door.

“April, Austin is in the casino. He wants us to join him.”

She didn’t answer, so he knocked harder this time.

“April?”

She still didn’t respond.

“April, if you don’t answer, I’m coming in.”

After two seconds, he pushed open the door. He glanced around to see April staring out the window, dressed in the same lovely sundress she’d had on earlier. Of course, it was the only appropriate thing she had left for going out.

“I’m sorry. I won’t be very good company tonight,” she said softly, not turning around. “Why don’t you go without me?”

He strode toward her until he stood a foot away.

“Look, Austin wants you down there, and it’s the least you can do to thank him for his hospitality.”

“His hospitality?” she asked evenly, still staring outside. “And yours, too?”

“Sure. Mine, too. Austin loves to gamble, and he’s looking forward to your company this evening.”

“All right,” she said simply. “I’ll need a minute to fix my makeup.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

But when she turned around, even though she kept her head down, he saw her eyes were puffy and red. She’d been crying.

“I’ll only be a few minutes.” Her voice sounded so empty.

His heart ached. He hated seeing her like this.

As she walked to the dresser where her makeup bag sat, he knew he couldn’t leave it at that.

“Wait,” he said.

She stopped