Empath's Angel - M J Marlow (easy readers .TXT) 📗

in. She saw no reason to tell him that her grandfather Sobieski had already helped her make arrangements for the handling of her inheritances. “I realize that you were only following Samuel’s orders, but I can not forgive you for filing the committal papers for him. Did you even consider talking to me before you did so?” She saw the man hang his headand knew the answer. “Perhaps in time, I may change my mindand bring business back your way.” “I look forward to that day in hope, Mrs. Winslow,” Timmons nodded. He got to his feetand bowed his head. “Enjoy your inheritance.” He started to leaveand then turned back. “You do realize that you are worth something close to 200 million now, don’t you? A lot of very hungry people are going to start knocking on your door.” “Don’t worry about me, Mr. Timmons,” Emilia told him as she saw him to the door. “I’ve already taken steps to protect myself.” She closed the doorand leaned against it with a sigh of relief. Emilia went to the studyand made a call. “Lieutenant,” she said softly, “can you make that call for me. The one we discussed earlier this month? Thanks.” She hung up the phoneand sat back to consider what she was going to do. She now had enough money to do whatever she wanted with her life, a hundred times over. So what did she want to do? No matter what she chose to do, she would have to take along people to keep watch on her. Her life was now far more complicated than she could ever have dreamed. She knew one thing that might help a little. Emilia got her house keysand car keysand went to the local pound. For the next half hour, she walked along the rows of kennels. For some reason just seeing the puppiesand kittens calmed her. “The rottweiler pups need a good home.” Emilia turned at the sound of a familiar voiceand saw Zachary leaning on the wall near the end of the row. He smiledand came to her side. He tried to take her hand and she backed away from him. He lowered his hand and nodded down the other corridor. They came to a kennel where two rottweilers, about six months old, were practically dancing for her attention. Emilia had to admit they were adorable. She knew rottweilers were good guard dogs, but didn’t know if she was strong enough to control such a headstrong breed. Zachary seemed to guess her thoughts. “I know having me hanging around makes you uncomfortable,” he smiled down at her, “but I consider you my sister,and I want to stay close – for Stephen’s sake.” He crouched downand put his hand out to one of the dogs. “I know this breed. I could handle them for you, if you like.” “I don’t trust you, Zachary.” She crouched downand let the puppies lick her, “and I’m not willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.” She saw the attendant coming towards themand smiled. Officer Roger Mitchell worked part time at the animal shelter that his sister had founded. He was an old friend. “I’d like them both, Mitch.” “Are you certain, Emilia?” the man balked. He looked at her slim frameand delicate featuresand saw something more elegant for the child. “Wouldn’t you rather have a lhasa? Or a pom?” “I want dogs that will protect me from harm, Mitch,” Emilia shook her head, “not lick me to death. Can I take them now?” “Ordinarily there would be a home inspectionand such,” a tall, golden haired man said as he came to join them, “but since you have given this shelter enough money to run for the next decade, you can have your new friends now.” He held out his hand. “My name is Doctor Geoffrey Caine. I believe you met my son this afternoon.” “Gabriel?” Emilia saw him nodand smiled. This was her uncle, she thought happily. She remembered what Gabriel had told herand did not acknowledge the connection. “Yes. He saved me from an errant football.” “That’s my son!” Geoffrey nodded. “Sir Galahad!” “Is it usual for the town vet to work in the animal shelter?” Zachary asked; feeling very uneasy around the man. “I own the animal shelter,” Geoffrey told him. He hid his own negative reaction. He had been warned about Zachary Winslow;and he was going to do everything in his power to keep this man from hurting his niece. “This way I can make certain that these little orphans are receiving the proper care.” He unlocked the cageand pulled the leashes off the wall inside the kennel. Then he snapped them on the dogs’ collarsand handed them to Emilia. “As long as you remember that you’re the boss,” he told Emilia as they went towards the front, “you should be just fine.” He looked at her appraisingly. “Yes. I think you’ll do.” “Emilia,” Zachary said as he tried to get her to go with him, “I need to talk to you.” “No, Zachary.” Emilia shook her head. “I’ve heard enough.” She turned her back on Zacharyand saw the brief nod of agreement Geoffrey gave her. “Are there any special instructions I need, Doctor Caine?” “Well done, child,” Geoffrey smiled as Zachary left with a frown on his face. “You handle your new friends like you just did that bastardand they will serve you well.” “Thank you, Uncle,” Emilia smiled. Geoffrey watched as Emilia took the dogs, a concerned smile on his face. So that was Dominik’s little girl; the wealthy young heiress. He had to admit that she was quite beautiful, but there was a wariness that no child of her age should have. He remembered being told her history,and knew the cause. It was a good thing that bastard, Ethan Randall, was dead, because he would have been tempted to take him out for what he’d done to that pretty child. It was a feeling he knew that every member of the Sobieski clan shared. He heard the door openand didn’t need to look to know who was there. “You did well, son,” he said to Gabriel. He turned his head then, his look stern. “You are to treat your cousin gently. If I hear that you have done anything to hurt her, then I will send you back to your mother in Philadelphia.” “Any man who would hurt that angel,” his son replied, echoing his own thoughts, “should be taken outand shot!” Gabriel smiled as he saw his father’s approval. “I am going to enjoy doing things with her: movies, dancing, bowling…” “Bowling?” “Why not?” Gabriel asked. “We could form a team, Emilia, me, the three Kennedy kids. We’d probably be the worst team in the league, but we’d have fun.” “You’re a nut,” Geoffrey laughedand ruffled his son’s hair. “Go on. Find your cousinand remind her that life has pleasant times as well as dark ones.” Gabriel moved off eagerly,and Geoffrey smiled. His son was also one who needed to remember that life could be pleasant. He had seen a great deal more sorrow than most boys his age. That was why Geoffrey had given him this task; to help someone else through the recovery stage after a major trauma. He was a good boy, Geoffrey thought to himself. At 20, he was quickly becoming a man any father could be proud of. He heard a squeal of tiresand looked up in horror as his son was tossed into the air. He was on his feetand running to Gabriel before his son landed. He watched the car drive off through a fog of tears. “They play hard around here,” Gabriel choked as pain shot through him. “Just lie still,” Geoffrey said as he pulled out his cell phoneand called for an ambulance. Once that was done, he called the police. “Hitand run in front of the Glenville Animal Shelter. Driver of a dark blue Taurus, license plate 583ABF.” He hung upand looked down at his son. The boy was aliveand a cursory exam proved he had a broken legand a broken arm. But, thankfully, he didn’t appear to have more serious injuries. “Your guardian angel was a little lax there, son.” “I’ll have a talk with him,” Gabriel laughedand then groaned at the pain. “The man hit me on purpose, Dad,” he said softly. “It wasn’t an accident.” The ambulance arrived a few moments after Sammy arrived in her squad car to take their statement. She frowned as she heard Gabriel’s assertion that he had been targeted on purpose. Why would anyone want to run down a 20-year-old student, she wondered. But then, the boyand his father had only been in town a few weeks. She knew next to nothing about them. As she followed them to the hospital, she found herself thinking that this was becoming less unusual. The past six months had seen a population growth in Glenville. “Hitand run victim,” she told him in clipped, angry tones. “I’ll get the APB out on the vehicle, Doctor Caine,” she said as she turned to Geoffrey. “If Gabriel remembers anything else that might prove useful in apprehending the man, let us know.” The man who had hit Gabriel ditched the stolen vehicle in the next town overand got into his Jeep. He drove back to Glenvilleand entered his room in the motel to the west. He had taken out one obstacle in his employer’s way to the girl. From this point on, it became a bit more complicated. She was not stupid; she had already started to hire security.And the fact that every eye in town was on her made it harder. But he was not the kind of man who backed down from a challenge. It was only a matter of time before his employer had Emilia Sobieski Winslowand her inheritance under his control. Emilia arrived at her homeand put the puppies out in the back yard with a bowl of waterand dog chow she had picked up on the way home. She was called away from watching them play by a knock on her front door. She opened it to see Zachary standing there. Emilia could tell there was going to be a confrontation. She was not in the mood for a fight, so she tried to close the door on him. He shoved against itand she fell back. There was no way she was going to let him get his hands on her again, she told herself as she backed away. She didn’t want him; she wanted her husband. She ran for her bedroomand he slammed his palm against the door as she tried to close it. He took a box out of his pocketand opened it. “No,” Emilia stated coldly. “I am not going to marry you, Zachary.” “You didn’t give me a chance, Emilia,” Zachary protested as he closedand locked the door. He pulled out the ringand came towards her. “It isn’t nice to break an engagement without at least giving your fiancé a chance to convince you…” “I don’t want you, Zachary,” Emilia broke in, her eyes blazing; her fists clenched in anger. “Why can’t you understand that?” “Because, my sweet,” Zachary told her as he caught her by the wristsand pulled her to himand shoved the ring on her finger, “no one ever says no to me.” He kissed her roughlyand heard her whimper of protest. “I do not release you from our engagement, Pixie,” he continued as he backed her towards the bedand forced her down. “Not now,” he snarled as he ripped her blouse open. “Not ever.” “Take your hands off me now, Zachary,” Emilia hissed as she tried to shove him off of her. “I’ll have you arrested for this!” He laughed at herand she grew even angrier. She managed to pull her arm freeand got her hand on a crystal vase on her nightstand. She brought it down on his headand he cried out