Page 40 of Joanna's Highlander (Highland Protector 2)

“Ms. Joanna Martin?” Jonathan Broadbent sounded as though he was at least ninety years old. Either that or the poor man had one hell of a head cold and was about to lose his voice.

“Yes.”No sense expounding with useless niceties about returning calls or any such bullshit. This needs to be done with. Now.“What do you want, Mr. Broadbent?”

“It’s not whatIwant, Ms. Martin. It’s what my client wants.”

“Which is?”Damn, the man must be padding the estate he plans on leaving his heirs, because if he gets paid by the minute, he’ll be a fucking millionaire by the end of this call. I wish he’d get on with it.

“Ms. Tasker wishes to meet with you to discuss a business proposition.”

“A business proposition?”Seriously?“The woman helped fire my ass, Mr. Broadbent. There’s no ‘business’ left to propose.”

Lilian Tasker had been on the board of Asclepius Pharmaceuticals three years ago. Probably still was, since her father had started the company and still owned a major part of it. She’d been quite cooperative with everything that Matthew’s brother, Mason, had recommended when it came to getting rid of her husband’s lover and ruining Joanna’s life in Chicago as punishment. Payback had been a bitch, and that bitch’s name had been Lilian. Although—in all fairness—Joanna couldn’t really blame the woman. After all, Joanna had been having sex with Lilian’s husband. But in her own defense, if she’d known Matthew was married, he would’ve immediately been labeled “off limits.”

“And as I’m sure you’re aware, I live in North Carolina now. If your client wants to meet with me, she’s gonna have to come here.”Home court advantage.

“That is not a problem,” Broadbent droned on in his rasping, nasal tone. “Would you be available tomorrow at noon? At the Brady Townhouse Café?”

Feeling as though she’d just been gut-punched, Joanna swallowed hard against the burn of nauseating bile rising in the back of her throat. “How do you know so much about Brady?”

“Let’s just say I take the utmost care of my clients, shall we?” A buzzing in the background, muffled words, then Jonathan Broadbent came back on the line. “Well, Ms. Martin. Tomorrow. Noon. Brady Townhouse Café. Agreeable?”

“I wouldn’t exactly define it as ‘agreeable,’ but it is ‘do-able.’ Tell Mrs. Tasker I’ll see her tomorrow.”

“Very good then.” Then the call was disconnected.

Joanna crawled over to the bathroom cabinets, pulled herself to her feet, then sagged against the counter, sucking in deep breaths to keep from puking. If she puked, she’d ruin her makeup and never make the party. Then Grant would get involved, and that wouldn’t be good. This shit was from her past and her problem to handle. She glared at the redhead in the mirror, then shook her head.

“You can puke tomorrow. After the meeting.”

Chapter 19

The café was emptier than usual for a Wednesday at lunch.

Great. No witnesses when she either pulls a gun, a knife, or just starts throwing shit and then calls the cops to throw me in jail instead of her.Swallowing hard, Joanna wound her way around the several unoccupied tables and headed for the small two-seat table closest to the windows.If all else fails, I’ll do a superhero dive out the window and run like hell.

She jumped when a slight movement registered in her peripheral vision.Shit. I’ve got to calm down.She waved away the waitress heading toward her. “Not yet, Mary. I’m meeting someone. I’ll just wait until they get here to get a drink or look at a menu, okay?”

“You sure?” Mary gave her a dubious look and paused with a menu in one hand and a glass of ice water in the other. “You kind of look a little pale.”

You should see me from the inside.“I’m positive. Thanks.” If she ate or drank anything right now, she knew for certain her nervous stomach would reverse gears.

The tarnished bundle of old Christmas bells wired above the café door jingled out a cheery warning that made Joanna’s blood run cold. She didn’t have to look to know that Lilian Tasker had arrived. She felt it—kind of like the feeling she got right before she puked. A throbbing, about-to-be-turned-inside-out sort of feeling. Joanna swallowed hard, then sucked in a deep breath through her nose and softly blew it out her mouth.Must. Calm. Down.

The firm click of high heels against the linoleum-tiled concrete grew louder, like the ticking of a doomsday bomb. A subtle scent of perfume that probably cost more per ounce than the price of the tour bus wafted through the air as the elegantly foreboding woman slid into the seat across from Joanna.

She barely smiled and graced Joanna with an imperious nod as she laced her long, slender fingers together and rested her clasped hands on the edge of the table. “Good day, Ms. Martin. I’m glad you agreed to a meeting.”

Stay calm.Joanna kept the mantra at the forefront of her thoughts, trying to blot out the disturbing comparison of Lilian Tasker to a platinum-blond cat toying with its prey before it snapped its neck and ripped its guts out. Remembering Mrs. Tasker’s no-nonsense-and-don’t-waste-my-time attitude from the rare times they’d crossed paths at Asclepius Pharmaceuticals, Joanna sat taller in the chair and forced a smile.

Might as well cut to the chase. I know this isn’t a social visit.“Whether my day is good or not might depend a great deal on our conversation.” Joanna folded her hands on the table in front of her, attempting to mimic the woman’s aloof air. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Tasker? I think we both know that you didn’t ask me to lunch because we’re ‘besties.’ ”Damn. I actually sound brave.All she had to do now was keep up the act.

“No bullshitting and straight to the point. Good. I like that.” Mrs. Tasker smiled and leaned back in her seat. “And do call me Lilian.”

Joanna nodded, relaxing a bit—a very small bit. The woman’s smile seemed genuinely friendly rather than territorial.Strange. “And I’m ‘Joanna.’ Now—what can I do for you, Lilian?”

“Work for me.”

“Beg pardon?” Joanna leaned forward and cocked her head. Surely, she’d misunderstood what Lilian Tasker had just said. She swallowed hard, suddenly wishing that it was late enough in the day for alcohol.I could so use a drink right now.

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