Read Justice Burning (Hellfire #2) for Free Online Page B

window, fingering the locket at her throat. “No.”
    “Where are you from?” he asked, surprised he hadn’t asked before. What kind of deputy was he, anyway?
    “Does it matter?” She continued to stare out the window, allowing a long strand of hair to swing forward and block her eyes from his view. “I’m sure you have better things to do than chauffeur me around. Likely Lola will be waiting for my return.”
    A non-answer. Nash’s eyes narrowed. He supposed she wasn’t in a hurry to let her folks know where she’d run to, nor did she want a well-meaning sheriff’s deputy to notify her family of her whereabouts.
    Nash shifted into reverse, backing out of the parking lot. Two minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of Lola’s shoe store.
    Lola hurried out, locked the door behind her and held up a key. “I have the key to the apartment.”
    “Good.” Just a few more minutes and he could wash his hands of the runaway bride. Nash tipped his cowboy hat at the older woman. He turned in the driver’s seat, and tilted his head toward the rear of the vehicle where Phoebe sat. “Do you want to ride in the back, or take your own vehicle?”
    “Any other time, I’d die for a chance to ride in the backseat of your squad car.” She winked at Nash. “I have to get back fairly quickly. I’m expecting a delivery at any time. But I’ll take a rain check if you promise to use the handcuffs.”
    Nash shook his head. “Lola, you know I can’t play with the cuffs. They’re for real police business.”
    Lola pouted. “I could pretend to be a lady of the evening, and you could arrest me for soliciting.” She plumped her ample breasts, the girls nearly spilling out of her tight sweater and the bra that could barely contain them. “I’ll even let you frisk me.”
    Nash tried not to smile and thus encourage the woman’s naughty behavior. “As tempting as that sounds, I have to decline. Besides, I thought you liked fire fighters better.”
    “Oh, I do. They are so very…hot.” She fanned her cheek with her hand. “But lawmen are a close second.”
    Phoebe’s gaze shot from Lola to Nash and back during the entire exchange.
    Nash sighed. The bride would wonder what she was getting into with Hellfire’s infamous Lola. The middle-aged woman loved to flirt. Since her husband passed away and left her with a comfortable insurance stipend, she enjoyed playing the field and hitting on all the single young men and some of the older men in town. Sometimes she was annoying, but mostly she was harmless. Just lonely.
    Nash drove the few short blocks, parked in front of Lola’s house, got out and opened the door for Phoebe.
    Phoebe climbed out, and stared at the pretty charcoal-gray craftsman-style cottage with a detached garage set back at the end of a long driveway.
    Lola zoomed up the street in a bright orange Corvette, skidding to a stop in the driveway. She jumped out and held out a key. “What do you think of the place?”
    “I love your house,” Phoebe said.
    “I kind of like it too.” Lola smiled. “Come on. You might not like the apartment as much. I haven’t been in it since Christmas. I’m not sure how big a mess it is.”
    “I can handle it,” Phoebe said, determined to make it work. With no other option presenting itself and no money to live on, she had to take what she could get.
    “If you want to work for me as a housekeeper, I could use help once a week. The shop keeps me pretty busy.”
    Nash cleared his throat. “If you are comfortable with Miss Lola, I’m off duty and need to check in at the station.”
    Phoebe drew her bottom lip between her teeth and stared up into his eyes. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done. I hope I can repay your kindness some day.”
    He tipped his cowboy hat, suddenly reluctant to leave her, but he didn’t have a reason to stay. “Not necessary. It’s part of my job.” Nodding to Lola, he gave her a brief smile. “Let me know if you two need anything.