Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
“Bossy sets my teeth on edge,” Harlow admitted.
Raine sent them a small, rueful smile. “I’m well aware I can be an arrogant jerk when I think the situation calls for it. I don’t like that he’s so intelligent, and he can outthink me at times. I’m kind of used to staying a few steps ahead. But when he realized how frightened I was, he went right back to being that man I knew last year.”
“Is he going to object to my taking care of you?” Vienna asked.
“I doubt that he would. I think he’ll be more than happy for me to get out of here. He doesn’t usually stay in one place for very long,” Raine said. “What have I missed?”
“Alek, at the Grill, is displaying paintings of local artists,” Stella said. “He puts the price up, along with a small bio of the artist. They’ve only been up a few days, but already he’s sold several.” She jerked her chin toward Harlow. “He has one of her prints up, one titled Frost and Venom, and he won’t even consider selling it. It’s so cool.”
Raine’s expression shone brightly. “You developed the pictures from that morning, didn’t you, Harlow? Did they turn out as wonderful as you’d hoped?”
“Even better. I’m still working on the final rendition. I’ve been going through all the shots hoping to find a black widow web in the eaves that I might have accidentally captured. You know how shiny and sticky a black widow’s web can be. If frost is clinging to it, the shot would be perfection.”
Zahra gave a delicate shudder. “I can’t believe we’re sitting here hoping you found a nest of black widow spiders. What are we coming to?”
“We all need to sacrifice for art,” Stella said staunchly. “If we have to, we can capture a few widows and let them loose in the eaves of the barn. It won’t take them long to build nests.”
Zahra flung herself over backward, her hand dramatically covering her eyes. “You are nuts, Stella. Plain bonkers. We are not going to capture black widows. Not a single one of us. Not even for Harlow’s art. I love you, Harlow, but I draw the line at spiders. That’s just…” She gave another shudder and shook her head.
“I wouldn’t expect anyone to scoop up black widows and plant them in that old barn,” Harlow assured, keeping a straight face. Zahra might appear as if she were acting, but she clearly had a real fear of spiders. “There were already several black widows in the eaves. It’s just that I need a certain angle to add more to the shot I already have. I do remember I very quickly took a series of snaps from various angles.”
“So many, and you were concentrating so much you nearly stepped into the holes on the ground and funnel-web spider nests,” Raine reminded.
“Can we just stop talking about this?” Zahra asked. “Isn’t there anything less nightmarish we can discuss?”
“Well,” Raine said, pausing for dramatic effect. “Someone somehow talked Rush into giving me back my own computer. He’s going to bring it to me after everyone leaves. Rainier has a special assignment he really needs help with. Rush said as long as I don’t work long hours he’ll approve.”
“It involves the senator,” Harlow confessed. “Don’t feel you have to do it. The senator is extremely vindictive.”
“I’m well aware, Harlow.” Raine’s voice was gentle. “He must be threatening you for Rainier to get involved and for Rush to agree to return my laptop. He thinks the people I work for are far too demanding and don’t respect the orders my doctors give.”
Stella flashed a quick grin. “And he would be right about that.” She turned to Harlow. “You tell us what you need to be safe. We’re all over it. I have luxury cabins. We can hide you, if necessary, even from the press.”
“Rainier has gone all protective,” Harlow assured. She wished she could let her friends know Wilder had been the one to persuade Rush to give back Raine’s laptop. By requesting Rainier allow Raine to investigate the senator and monitor his calls, she was sure Rainier had persuaded Rush to give back the laptop. She couldn’t say that though, so she made her own request. “If you get your laptop back, would you research any experiments with crossbreeding rattlesnakes? I’m wondering if Giselle, Lawyer and Helen were bitten by a snake and we couldn’t identify the toxin because it is a new species. That sounds wild, but I know experiments are carried out all the time. Also, maybe evolution happened.”
“It is entirely possible someone’s been experimenting with snakes,” Raine agreed. “That isn’t as far-fetched as you might think. Some of the greatest minds think interfering with nature is a brilliant move. They never think about the consequences of what they might unleash on the world.”