in response.
His mouth lifted in the now familiar faint smile. "Because you owe me five thousand dollars?" he suggested smoothly.
Honor went very still. She couldn't have gotten out of her chair now even if the room were on fire. Her eyes met Conn's unreadable gaze. "My checkbook is at home. Take me back to the apartment and I'll give you your money. The same money I was going to give Granger. I get the feeling it doesn't much matter which of the two of you I pay. You seem to have a lot in common, you and Granger."
For a split second she was certain she'd gone much too far. The fingers shackling her wrist were now tight bands of steel and the cold of Conn's eyes could only have its source in the farthest reaches of the universe. In that taut instant of time Honor's instinctive wariness of the man made the transition to genuine fear.
And then, quite suddenly, she was free. Landry released her hand and sat back in his chair, reaching for his wineglass. He took a long swallow before he spoke. When he looked at her again, the frightening ice of his eyes had disappeared, leaving only his usual, remote expression. The wry tone of his words dissipated most of the remaining tendrils of alarm that curled through Honor's body. He inclined his head once, very formally.
"Congratulations, lady, you nearly managed to push me over the edge with that last crack. Not many people have the power to do that to me."
She swallowed awkwardly. "My guess is not many people care to make the attempt."
"Did I frighten you?"
"I don't know how to take you, Conn," she said honestly. "Yes, you frightened me for a moment. After all, I don't know much about you, do I? And now I owe you five thousand dollars."
"Wouldn't you rather owe it to me than to Granger?"
"I don't know yet. At least I have a fair idea of where Granger fits into the grand scheme of life. He's a loan shark. Once I'd paid him off he would have been out of the way. You're not so easy to classify."
"I'll take that as a compliment. A minute ago you were pointing out how much I had in common with Granger. Apparently my status isn't really that low in your eyes."
"Why did you do it?" she asked starkly.
He didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Because I didn't want you going near that man," he declared with absolute conviction. "You don't know anything about dealing with people like him. How did your sister get involved?"
Honor sighed, relaxing a little now that Conn seemed under control. "For a while this fall she was dating a man who, among other things, gambled heavily. I guess he made it all look so easy and so much fun.
He took her to Vegas and to the races and encouraged her to try her luck. At Santa Anita he introduced her to Granger. I gather he often used Granger as a banker. Granger made the money so readily available that my sister couldn't resist. She wanted to keep up with the high-rolling crowd she was moving with and eventually got run over, instead. She luckily came to her senses and dropped the boyfriend."
"But by that time she was already into Granger for the five thousand?"
"Actually, she only borrowed three thousand," Honor said bluntly. "But the government doesn't regulate interest rates in Granger's world."
"Two thousand dollars in interest on a three-thousand-dollar loan. Yes, Granger is a step ahead of most banks. Well, if it's any consolation, he won't be approaching your sister again, even if she shows up at the track."
Honor considered that. "Because you told him to stay clear?"
"That's right."
"Why is Granger so willing to take orders from you?"
"Maybe I make him nervous the same way I make you nervous," Conn offered laconically as the broccoli salads arrived.
Honor ignored her food. Leaning forward intently she said, "Conn, I will repay you tonight. I have the money."
"It's not necessary."
Honor shook her head violently. "It is most definitely necessary. I will give you the money tonight."
He watched her expressive face for a moment as if trying
His mouth lifted in the now familiar faint smile. "Because you owe me five thousand dollars?" he suggested smoothly.
Honor went very still. She couldn't have gotten out of her chair now even if the room were on fire. Her eyes met Conn's unreadable gaze. "My checkbook is at home. Take me back to the apartment and I'll give you your money. The same money I was going to give Granger. I get the feeling it doesn't much matter which of the two of you I pay. You seem to have a lot in common, you and Granger."
For a split second she was certain she'd gone much too far. The fingers shackling her wrist were now tight bands of steel and the cold of Conn's eyes could only have its source in the farthest reaches of the universe. In that taut instant of time Honor's instinctive wariness of the man made the transition to genuine fear.
And then, quite suddenly, she was free. Landry released her hand and sat back in his chair, reaching for his wineglass. He took a long swallow before he spoke. When he looked at her again, the frightening ice of his eyes had disappeared, leaving only his usual, remote expression. The wry tone of his words dissipated most of the remaining tendrils of alarm that curled through Honor's body. He inclined his head once, very formally.
"Congratulations, lady, you nearly managed to push me over the edge with that last crack. Not many people have the power to do that to me."
She swallowed awkwardly. "My guess is not many people care to make the attempt."
"Did I frighten you?"
"I don't know how to take you, Conn," she said honestly. "Yes, you frightened me for a moment. After all, I don't know much about you, do I? And now I owe you five thousand dollars."
"Wouldn't you rather owe it to me than to Granger?"
"I don't know yet. At least I have a fair idea of where Granger fits into the grand scheme of life. He's a loan shark. Once I'd paid him off he would have been out of the way. You're not so easy to classify."
"I'll take that as a compliment. A minute ago you were pointing out how much I had in common with Granger. Apparently my status isn't really that low in your eyes."
"Why did you do it?" she asked starkly.
He didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Because I didn't want you going near that man," he declared with absolute conviction. "You don't know anything about dealing with people like him. How did your sister get involved?"
Honor sighed, relaxing a little now that Conn seemed under control. "For a while this fall she was dating a man who, among other things, gambled heavily. I guess he made it all look so easy and so much fun.
He took her to Vegas and to the races and encouraged her to try her luck. At Santa Anita he introduced her to Granger. I gather he often used Granger as a banker. Granger made the money so readily available that my sister couldn't resist. She wanted to keep up with the high-rolling crowd she was moving with and eventually got run over, instead. She luckily came to her senses and dropped the boyfriend."
"But by that time she was already into Granger for the five thousand?"
"Actually, she only borrowed three thousand," Honor said bluntly. "But the government doesn't regulate interest rates in Granger's world."
"Two thousand dollars in interest on a three-thousand-dollar loan. Yes, Granger is a step ahead of most banks. Well, if it's any consolation, he won't be approaching your sister again, even if she shows up at the track."
Honor considered that. "Because you told him to stay clear?"
"That's right."
"Why is Granger so willing to take orders from you?"
"Maybe I make him nervous the same way I make you nervous," Conn offered laconically as the broccoli salads arrived.
Honor ignored her food. Leaning forward intently she said, "Conn, I will repay you tonight. I have the money."
"It's not necessary."
Honor shook her head violently. "It is most definitely necessary. I will give you the money tonight."
He watched her expressive face for a moment as if trying
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