House of Paine - (A Romantic Suspense - Book 2) Read Online Free

this fucked up family. She doesn’t trust anyone off the bat, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Do you want to go out there?” Paige giggled. She’d stood up to Jackson...she’d killed a man...and something about this tiny, beautiful little woman scared the crap out of her. It was funny.
    “Sure,” she said. She followed Damien outside. Roxi looked up at them and said,
    “Jake, this is my cousin Damien and his...step-sister?” she said with a cocked eyebrow.
    Paige forced another smile and said, “Ex-step-sister.” Jake looked amused. He shook Damien’s hand and then Paige’s. His smile was genuine and warm and now that she saw him up close, Paige could see that he was also drop-dead gorgeous.
    “Nice to meet you,” Paige said. Looking at Roxi she said, “Your home is beautiful. Thank you so much for letting us come here.” Roxi’s eyes seemed to soften just a hair.
    “I didn’t really have much say in the matter. Dad said you needed a safe place. This place is safe. But since it’s my place, I’d like to know who you’re running from.”
    “I killed Caine Kramer,” Paige blurted out. Jake looked like he would choke on his coffee and Roxi actually smiled.
    “Well, I guess I don’t have to worry about your ability to be honest. I like that,” Roxi said, “Get the heavy stuff out of the way right off the bat.”
    “He killed my brother,” Paige said.
    “The cop?” Roxi asked. She’d obviously kept up with what was going on in the family.
    “Yes, his name was Greg. Caine killed him because he was trying to bring their family down. I killed Caine because....”
    “He was scum of the earth?” Roxi said, casually.
    Paige laughed. “Oh, so you knew him.” She knew it was awful, joking about killing a man...but at the moment, it was keeping her sane.
    “Unfortunately, I grew up with Caine. If there was walking piece of shit on this earth, Caine Kramer was it. How is his little sister?”
    “She’s...”
    “Still a bitch?” Roxi asked. Paige laughed again. She looked at Damien. He was smiling.
    “Yeah, she still is.”
    “She was born that way. I never could stand either of them. So Damien, how are you involved in this mess?”
    “When Paige’s brother died, he left some evidence against the Kramer’s and...our family. I don’t know if Uncle Kevin told you...but I’ve wanted out for a long time. I have my own evidence. Neither of us is sure what to do with it.”
    Roxi looked at Jake then and said, “This is what my father meant when he said you may be able to help, I guess. Do you mind talking to them about it while I shower?”
    “Of course not,” Jake said. Roxi got up and bent down to give him a full open mouthed kiss. She wasn’t shy about PDA’s that’s for sure. She pulled her robe tighter around her and started into the house. Just as she got to the door her phone rang.
    “It’s Dad,” she said. Putting it to her ear she said, “Good morning, Dad.” Her eyes fell on Paige and Damien as she said, “They’re doing fine. Okay, I’ll tell them. See you in a bit.” Roxi ended the call and then told them, “Dad will try and get here when he can. I’ll be out in a few.”
    She went inside and Damien turned to Jake and said, “I don’t know how Paige feels...we haven’t had much time to discuss it...but I’d really like to do this without bringing my father down.” Paige felt her stomach roll. Was Damien backing out on her? She looked at him questioningly and he said, “If we bring my father down, Alex and Uncle Kevin and all of my aunt’s and uncle’s fall with him. I want out, but I don’t want to ruin my entire family in the process. That will be my bargaining chip.”
    Paige understood his reluctance...and she wanted him out, but she was going to have a hard time walking away and leaving Jackson sitting at the top...King of the Roost as always. Caine may have killed Greg, but Jackson should have protected him. She looked at Damien’s blue eyes and