Read Domino for Free Online

Morgan strolled casually up to
the scene as if he were bored with it. Alex hauled Byron to his
feet and whirled him around to face Morgan and Marco. The glint of
a gun shone briefly in Marco's hand and Clarissa was riveted to the
window, not daring to move or breath.
    "Your brother tried to run out on us, too,"
Morgan's voice was filled with anger in the still, crystal clear
night. "We warned both of you what would happen if you tried to get
out of our partnership. We had an agreement."
    "I tried to talk Avery out of leaving,"
Byron's voice was shaky and edged with terror. "You said you would
give me that chance. Forty eight hours, you said. It wasn't even
five hours. Instead, you murdered him."
    "It was robbery," Morgan snapped. "Almost a
million dollars was missing from his office safe. Police haven't
found who did it."
    "You lying bastard," Byron cried as he tried
to lunge at Wolfe. Alex kept him tightly restrained as he continued
to struggle against Alex's strong hold across his throat. Wolfe
never flinched but pulled a piece of paper from his suit coat
pocket. Clarissa strained to see in the dim light. It looked to her
like an airline ticket.
    "I don't like business partners who steal from
me. Both of you were planning to leave the country. How much were
you taking with you, Byron? We know Avery was taking close to half
a million in that briefcase of his and another two in transferred
funds."
    "What are you talking about?" Byron was almost
pleading. "I'm staying. I'm going to run the galleries for you.
Avery cut out, but I'm staying."
    "Not according to this," Morgan waved the
airline ticket under Byron's nose.
    Clarissa flinched and drew back a little from
the window. She could easily imagine Wolfe's hideous glare boring
into Byron's soul, and felt Byron's terror. Her own hands began to
shake at the thought of the hell that the art gallery owner was
experiencing.
    "I've been loyal to you, Mister Wolfe,"
Byron's voice was high pitched and whinny. "Avery bought that
ticket. I told him I wouldn't go with him."
    "I can't let this go, Byron," Morgan's voice
was deadly even and it made Clarissa's skin crawl. "What if all my
other business partners heard of this? I don't need those kinds of
problems." Morgan tucked the ticket neatly back into his pocket.
His reached out and patted Byron on the cheek. "Roth Galleries will
be in good hands, Byron, I assure you. Your wife and children will
be taken care of properly. You need not fear for their
welfare."
    Morgan nodded to Marco. The burly body guard
wrenched Byron from Alex's grasp and shoved him toward the
pool.
    "Please, Mister Wolfe," Byron was sobbing. "I
wasn't going to leave. Please."
    The silenced .357 Magnum in Marco's hand
flared in the dark for only an instant. Clarissa gasped audibly,
then put her hand quickly over her mouth. Suddenly, she felt sick.
Byron fell into the pool, a darkening cloud of blood floated on the
surface, dimming the pool light.
    Clarissa was close to panic but she stood
riveted to the window. Then she realized that she had not turned
out the hall light. Too late. Alex was looking up directly at her.
Her panic turned to sheer horror as Morgan Wolfe slowly turned to
where Alex was staring. Wolfe's eyes blazed with hell fire hatred
as he saw Clarissa framed in the bedroom window. Without so much as
a nod from Wolfe, Alex and Marco ran toward the house.

Chapter 3
     
     
    The house was still and heavy with a
terrifying darkness. Clarissa was conscious of every sound,
overwhelmed by the thundering of her own heart. She dared not move.
The dusty carpet under the bed was rough against her cheek and wet
with her tears. She lay on her stomach, one knee pulled up to her
chest and the slim gold chain strap of her evening bag wound firmly
around her wrist. She clutched the Jaguar keys so tight that they
were cutting into her palm. Any moment they would search this room
again and find her, huddled and shivering in the little used guest
room at the end of the