her chest as the finality of her boss word

otiation," he said smoothly, as if h

axis. Blake had been on the straight and narrow for years. The trouble he'd gotten into as a teen now well a

't do this to me-to

took a risk when he started playing in the big boy's league. Embezzlement is never a good look on a resume

ords as quickly as she'd processed the information

t judge he'd stood before in court had made it quite clear that he was being given one final opportunity to cle

well that Blake be stopped now. But, in her heart

f her words before she gave Mr. Warner any

hock, and why wouldn't it? I understand you campaigned quite h

linked to the fraudulent activity. As innocent as she knew she was, mud had a

olved, especially not

words that would set Roland warner straight on exact

the local police station to collect him after he'd been picked up for one misdemeanor or another, in the first couple of years after their parents died. But t

. The experience of being charged as an adult, with all its long

arned his lesson, big-time. He even swore n their parents' gra

wn up in so she could borrow the money necessary , send him to college out of state. Somewhere he could

e he'd thrown

r thoughts "-the way see it, we

she repea

saw her lose everyt

ognition. She had always aspired to do better-to be more. Now it appeared that everything she had

ur brother receives nothing more than a reprimand. Obviously he'll be under close supervision. If he keeps out

f I do

he police to be waiting for you at the front door. It'd probably take some time to go to trial,

word a cold steel nail in the cof

ng?" sh

long

uld I have t

voice to make Roland's eyes narrow a

If you take this on, you will have to be convincing

t thing from my mind. He's withholding something that is rightfully mine over this issue, and the situation is distressing my mother. I would need you to be by my fiancée

no finite te

open-ended proposal and the continued threat of Blake losing

fice communication confirming that she'd been promoted to being PA. For her, the only way from a position like this wa

n forever. It's not as if

ntire prospect of marriage wa

ée for an undetermined period of time. In exchange you'll recom

uld he push his boundaries and try something a little mo

ake had been brought before the court. She'd never been certain if it was the

nt to break free from the creeps he'd been hang

ck on an even keel. It had cost her far more than money

d be forced into something like this. It wasn't enough that the man had infiltrated her private thought

me?" she w

a finger to t

e, Arabelle Raphael You

ouch of lightning. Her lips parted on a sharply indrawn breath a

nnocent in this, you owe it to him to allow him to prove it. He can'

t choice did she have? In her heart she knew that Blake could not have done what he was being a

of work she'd put into Blake, and all the effort he'd made to c

in a shak

he stood up and raised her head to meet Blake Warner's square i