Read High Stakes Seduction - Book 5 for Free Online Page B

that paid a whole lot better than the restaurant. And he's giving me the opportunity to work off the mortgage debt."
    "Okay, okay. You're an adult, you can certainly make your own decisions. But promise me you'll be careful. Mancini is not someone to be trifled with."
    God, didn't I know that . But for the moment I let the comment pass. I was in no mood to discuss Antonio Mancini—trifles or anything else.
    "So have you found out anything about Maria's birth certificate then?"
    Conner was quiet on the other end of the phone. "Actually, no. And that in itself is interesting. I don't seem to be able to access the original records. Generally births are recorded both at the hospital and with the county clerk. For some reason, these records are not available in either place. But I'm still digging."
    "Is there anything I can do to help?" I had to ask. "Do you need more money?"
    "No, that's not necessary. If there are expenses, I'll let you know later. It's just highly irregular that there are no records anywhere. But I'll keep looking."
    "Thanks for calling me back. And I'm sorry I was short a minute ago," I ended the call, returning my phone to my purse.
     

Chapter Fifteen
    MARIA
     
    I was more than a bit surprised to discover Antonio knocking at the front door.
    "Hello, won't you come in?" This time I wasn't going to forget my manners. Especially since he'd been so good to me recently.
    "Good news, Maria. Gregory just called, and he's ready to set everything up for the showing."
    "Oh my, I can't tell you how excited I am! Thompson and I have been going through the paintings, trying to figure out which ones I should show in addition to the ones Mr. Arnold already saw."
    In some ways "excited" was an understatement. It had even been hard for me to sleep, I kept thinking about all the things I wanted to do or needed to do, and how I could get them done without giving the secret away to Angela.
    "Well, I hope you have at least fifteen picked out. Apparently you'll have room for up to twenty, depending on how you want to display them. I imagine you'll need some help getting them transported."
    "I've been wondering how to do that, and how to do it while Angela isn’t here."
    "That shouldn't be a problem, you can have Gregory send his folks over. They'll pack and deliver everything within about two hours. They're used to doing it. But it would be smart for you to be at the gallery, so you can tell them how you want the paintings displayed. Gregory said he would give you a call this afternoon to set all that up."
    "Antonio, I can't begin to thank you enough. This is way beyond anything I would've expected you to do for us. Especially since you and Angela seem to be, um…"
    He looked at me solemnly for a moment, as though he was gathering his thoughts. Then he shook his head.
    "It's complicated," he said simply. "I just wish Angela could be more patient."
    "Well, complicated or not, Angela cares for you. She doesn't talk a lot about it, but I'm her sister. I know she's hurt, and confused." I sighed. "Sometimes I think the only reason she's still working for you is because of me."
    "You know, I admire Angela. I admire her strength, and her determination, and her loyalty. But sometimes she's just too headstrong, which gets in the way. I'm serious when I say she needs to be more patient."
    I wasn't sure what was going on for him, and I had no idea what he was talking about. But I was glad to know he cared about Angela.
    "Once Angela gets something into her head," I told him, "it's not likely she's going to let go of it very easily. I don't want to tell you how to run your life, that's not my place. And believe me when I tell you I'm very grateful for what you've done for us. But it's also not fair for you to toy with my sister's affections. And it's not very nice."
    He stared at me, and I could see the indecision in his eyes. There was more he wanted to talk about, but something was holding him back.
    "There are things going on behind