Page 41 of Jack of Hearts
Ramon sidestepped, brushing his arm against hers. “We came to invite the two loveliest ladies in South Florida to dinner.”
She inched away from his touch. “I already—” At the pleading in her mother’s eyes, she clammed up.
Uncle Jose frowned. “The invitation isn’t optional, Madison.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t already have plans then.”
Her uncle made a tsking noise. “Such a smart mouth isn’t attractive on a young lady.”
If she hadn’t accepted that loan from him, she would tell him where he could stick hisinvitation. While she was growing up, he hadn’t paid any attention to her. He’d once roughly pushed her away when she’d tried to show him a doll she’d gotten for Christmas. “I don’t have time for silly little girls,” he’d said. From that time on, she’d avoided him as much as possible.
“We would love to have dinner,” Angelina said, putting her hand on Madison’s arm, a plea to please be nice. “We’re closing in ten minutes if you don’t mind waiting.”
Panic swelled inside Madison. She wanted them out of the bookstore before Ramon saw Lauren. If she knew her cousin, he would decide he wanted Lauren, too. “No, let’s go now. Give me a minute to let my partner know I’m leaving, and I’ll meet you all out front.”
“I’ll just go get my purse.” Angelina hurried off.
Madison took a step away, but her uncle grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. His touch wasn’t gentle. “I’ve been waiting for an invitation to see how you invested the loan I gave you, Madison. One never came, so I decided not to wait any longer.”
A reprimand. “I wanted to be up and running first, Uncle, so you could see for yourself that the bookstore will be successful. I know you had your doubts.”
When he’d offered to loan her the money to put up her share of the bookstore, she’d been surprised. He’d been so nice about it that she’d even thought he was starting to like her. Now she had to believe it had been an act, a way to assert his authority over her.
He dropped his hand from her shoulder. “You and I will sit down very soon to review your books and your business plan. We’ll be in the car. Don’t keep me waiting.”
Blood raced through her veins, roaring in her ears. She curled her toes, trying to anchor herself to the floor to keep from attacking him as he walked away, her cousin by his side. The very day the bookstore turned a profit, she was going to the bank to get a loan to pay him back.
Ramon glanced back, a smirk on his face.
Fuck you. Fuck you both.Hands fisted at her sides, she blinked away the tears burning her eyes as she went to tell Lauren she was taking off early.
Dinner had been torture. There had been too many questions from her uncle and cousin for comfort about High Tea and Black Cats Books. She’d tried to be as vague as possible, but her uncle wasn’t going to be satisfied with superficial answers for long.
“I’m going to make a run to the ladies’ room,” Angelina said, after their dinner plates had been removed.
Not wanting to be left alone with her uncle and cousin, Madison pushed her chair back, intending to go with her.
Her uncle wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “Stay.”
Dread tossed around the food she’d eaten, and she put her hand on her stomach to try to stop the sickening roll.
“Your bookstore is going to be hugely successful, Madison. Do you know why?” Uncle Jose picked up his wine glass, giving it a critical eye. “I’m going to have to talk to Hector about serving inferior wine.”
Madison wasn’t sure she was even still breathing. She had no idea who Hector was. The owner? The wine steward? Whoever he was, she didn’t care. It was her uncle’s ominous question that had her heading for a full-blown panic. She didn’t want to know the why of anything that came from him.
“I can see I have your attention, Madison. Good. I’m going to invest additional funds into your business.”
And make her even more beholden to him? No thanks. “Thank you for the offer, Uncle, but it’s not necessary. We’re doing good, better than expected actually.”
“Nevertheless, you will allow it.”
Suspicion crept into her mind. Her uncle didn’t do anything without a reason. There was something going on here that she didn’t understand. “Why would you insist after I’ve told you I don’t need another loan?”
Irritation flashed in his cold brown eyes. “It isn’t a loan, Madison. In fact, I will keep a separate book for the funds, which you won’t question.”
“I don’t understand.”
Her uncle and cousin exchanged glances, a message passing between them, then Ramon put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing so hard that it hurt. “You don’t need to understand, cousin.”
