Read Sacrifice of Passion (Deadly Legends) for Free Online

“We all have a cross to bear, dude.” He lifted his chin in the direction of Delaney, a light suddenly twinkling in his eyes. “Sometimes you get a second chance. Why resist?”
    Because she’d rip his heart right out again if he wasn’t careful. And he was just as likely to try to rip her heart out. Payback. He’d glimpsed that side of himself earlier and he hadn’t liked it. He had to get her out of his system.
    He rationalized. Hell, maybe Jasper was right. Although he knew his church-going friend was suggesting he try to date Delaney again, a different thought was forming. Maybe if he and Delaney had sex, he’d finally be able to purge from his mind the mystery of the unknown that had plagued him all these years. Once he’d had her, he could drive her memory away and get over her once and for all.
    And while he was at it, maybe he could figure out why the curandera had linked Delaney to the chupacabra.
    Delaney had shed her coat and laid it on the bar stool next to her. She still hadn’t spotted him yet, so he let his eyes roam over what he could see of her body. She was a perfect mixture of innocence and seduction in that dress. It was a body that could sustain a man through the cold night—and he sure as hell could use a little warmth in his cold house.
    “You know, Jasper,” he said, making up his mind, “you’re right. I don’t want to resist her.” Vic headed down to the other end of the bar. “Well, well. Look what the storm blew in,” he said when he was facing her.
    She startled, looking up at him.
    He reined in his antagonism. If he wanted to get Delaney into his bed and out of his head, he’d have to forgive and forget. It was his only path to freedom. He worked to bury his bitterness and focus. “Long time no see.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “You work here?”
    “I own here. With Ray.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “But I thought…your ranch—”
    “Part-time bar owner, full-time rancher.”
    “Don’t forget full-time daddy,” she said. Her eyes weren’t smiling.
    “No, can’t forget that.” He leaned on the bar. Seemed charm might not work, after all. She was ready to condemn him for Zach. “Why don’t we just talk about this and get it over with?”
    She splayed her fingers on the bar and stared at them for a beat before looking up at him through her eyelashes. She smiled and his heart melted a fraction. “Can I get a drink?”
    Her voice sparked little memories in his brain. The ringlets of hair that were hidden at the nape of her neck. The tiny line that curved around the left side of her mouth when she gave the slightest smile. The sound of her laughter.
    “Vic?” She didn’t blink, didn’t look away. “A drink?”
    Maybe a drink would loosen her tongue, let her tell the truth, lead her to his bed, and get her the hell out of his mind. “Sure thing. What’ll it be?”
    “Mmm.” Her voice was smoky, low, full of promise. “A shot of whiskey,” she said, leveling her gaze at him when he raised his eyebrows. He was pretty good at matching up women with their preferred drinks. He would have pegged her for a gin and tonic girl. Or maybe a Tom Collins. Anything but straight whiskey. Time had changed her. He poured a healthy shot of Bushmills and slid it across to her.
    She sipped, then grimaced.
    Ah. So she didn’t drink it regularly. He’d been more on the mark than he’d thought. But then she downed the drink, smiling faintly as she pushed the glass toward him for a refill.
    After he poured, Delaney reached for the glass. Their fingers brushed, an electric charge shooting up his arm from the contact. The entire bar seemed to vanish for a split second.
    “Your son looks just like you,” she said, breaking the trance.
    Did he imagine wistfulness in her voice? “Poor kid,” he joked.
    “He’s going to be trouble,” she added. “Just like his dad.”
    “You must be thinking about someone else,” he said stiffly.
    She laughed, a harsh tone coloring his