Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

like, but grasping one last night in your job is a little pointless, considering I can have the conversation with Jonah tonight when I get home, or tomorrow morning. Anytime I like, really.’

Lena inspected her bright pink fingernails and she daintily tapped her cigarette ash into the thick crystal ashtray. ‘I can’t decide whether I pity you for your desperation or whether I’m angry that you’re trying to call my bluff.’

Gwen remained silent. She’d let Lena dig her hole. Let her believe just for a little bit longer that she was in control. She may have some control over the situation otherwise she wouldn’t be forced to be sharing her bloody office with the gold-digging little cow, but Lena was nowhere near as much in control as she thought and she’d soon be realising that.

Lena’s false-lashed eyes turned to Gwen as she reached for the bottle of vodka for a top up. ‘You’re very quiet. Realising you’d have been better off not coming back? It will be difficult leaving again under such embarrassing circumstances when you’ve only just returned.’ Her smile widened. ‘And to think people were concerned over you! I wonder how they’ll feel when they discover why you were hiding in the first place? I can’t imagine how they’ll feel when they discover you were the dirty bit on the side of Jonah’s father? The bit on the side who made him miss his wife’s death?’

Gwen flinched, but she wouldn’t rise to it. She would never let this malicious bitch know exactly how deep her words cut. ‘I’d probably feel as uncomfortable as you will when Jonah finds out you’re knocking vodka back, chain-smoking and doing coke by the gram. As you quite rightly know, we all know how he feels about family, so I doubt he’ll take kindly to you poisoning his baby. And, let’s face it, the baby is the only reason he’s marrying your sorry arse in the first place!’

Gwen experienced a small ping of victory seeing Lena’s face pale significantly. ‘Yes, he told me that apparently you’re pregnant.’

Lena’s mind whirred. Jonah had promised he wouldn’t tell anyone and out of all the fucking people to tell, he’d told Gwen? Shit.

‘I’m surprised any pregnant woman would be so stupid to put away the amount I’ve seen you down lately...’

Lena’s eyes flashed. ‘Are you saying I’m not pregnant?’

Gwen shrugged, her eyes lingering on Lena’s washboard stomach. ‘How would I know? But it would be sensible to suggest to Jonah that it’s unlikely. It’s either that or you’re knowingly poisoning his baby... Or do we try and work alongside each other? Of course, the choice is yours...’

Standing up, Lena slugged down the remains of her drink then placed the glass heavily on the silver cabinet tray. Fuck. She was between a rock and a hard place here. Damn Jonah for opening his gob.

Her overplucked eyebrows knitted. Gwen couldn’t prove she wasn’t pregnant could she? No, she couldn’t, but Jonah could. Jonah could demand to see her doctor’s notes. Or worse, book a private scan and accompany her. He’d be the sort to do just that. What Gwen said was true – Jonah was only marrying her because of the baby – she knew that, but if he knew there was no baby...

Her pulse cranked up a notch. For fuck’s sake.

It had all been so perfect. So ideal. So perfectly executed, yet now Gwen could cost her everything...

Gwen swallowed her smile. ‘So what’s it to be, Lena? You look after my secret and I’ll look after yours? Or shall we put our cards on the table to Jonah instead and see what he thinks?’

Lena clenched her jaw. As much as she resented this, she had no choice. At least not for the next few weeks. After they were married it would be a different fucking story. ‘We’ll work together,’ she mumbled.

‘Sorry?’ Gwen said, her eyes glinting. ‘Didn’t quite hear that.’

‘I said, we’ll work together,’ Lena spat through gritted teeth. Now, not only did she still have to put up with Gwen, but she also had to find somewhere new to drink and to do coke too. This was just shit.

‘Good. I think that’s the best choice all round. Right then. I’ll continue dealing with the girls, being as we all know none of them like you. And you... oh, let’s see... how about you deal with the admin for the VIP list? That doesn’t involve dealing with anyone face to face, so you should be ok.’

Lena’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Are you taking the piss?’

Gwen plastered on a mock-hurt expression. ‘Of course not! I want to show Jonah that we can work together. Why don’t you take a seat at that desk over there and I’ll show you how everything works.’

Scowling, Lena snatched her handbag and angrily stalked to the other side of the room.

Gwen watched with smug satisfaction, however, she was under no illusions that Lena would take this lying down. The woman would bide her time as to when she would tell Jonah, but if Lena thought Gwen was happy to keep her secret, she was very much mistaken. She was not selling Jonah out to this woman just to save her own skin.

Regardless of the fallout it would personally cause, that was not something she would consider. She would let Lena believe that for as long as it took to make sure the wedding did not happen. As long as that didn’t go ahead, she’d take whatever that meant on the chin, however painful it was.

Five

JONAH GENUINELY DIDN’T THINK there was much left in his life that could make him want to bin everything off and retreat to an unknown corner of the globe, but finding Saul in his office proved there were still things left to cause that strong reaction.

His head was spinning. Nero looked equally as perturbed, but Keith didn’t. Keith looked excited, but it was hardly surprising. Keith had been Saul’s right hand man