Evelyn Vaughn

Her Kind Of Trouble


Скачать книгу

clerical duties in order to marry, a petition that was tragically granted a few days after his fiancée died. But technically… “I swear he is.”

      “This does not excuse his familiarity with my wife.”

      “Your ex-wife. He counseled her.” But I might as well have been arguing in a cone of silence, for all that Hani listened to me. He drew back his foot to kick my helpless friend—and I had to risk it.

      I surged to my feet, stumbling slightly as circulation returned to my blood-deprived legs. Plank flooring bowed under my shifting weight—if this was a platform, it was a cheap one. I showed my freed hands. “I said, leave him alone.”

      Then I bent my knees slightly, centering my balance the way I would at the start of any tai chi exercise. Tonight, however, I meant to incorporate less well-known, combative aspects of the normally gentle art.

      Several of Hani’s helpers backed away, saying something in Arabic. Hani snapped back at them in the same language, then said to me, “They think this is part of your magic. I think they simply did not tie you well.”

      At least he wasn’t hurting Rhys. “Who says I need magic?”

      He swung—and I easily dodged the blow. When he stepped forward, I stepped back, leading him even farther from my friend. Scowling, in the darkness, Hani swung again.

      Again I ducked. Once I got him far enough from Rhys, I would use the force he was putting into his punches against him, perhaps throw him across this plywood flooring, hopefully frighten the others into running. But for now…

      Suddenly, unnervingly, Hani grinned—and surged forward with another punch. Again I ducked and backed from it—and stumbled off the edge of the plywood, onto crumbling rock.

      And nothingness.

      I went completely still, balanced on the one foot that still had purchase.

      The platform seemed to stretch between rock braces, over who-knew-what kind of drop. The space beyond Rhys wasn’t the only edge.

      Only my tai chi stance, honed after years of practice, kept me from falling into the surprise abyss. More pebbles plopped into water, far below.

      Where the hell were we?

      Even now, with at least three flashlight beams in my face, my perch was precarious at best. All my weight and balance rested, for a moment, on the ball of one sandaled foot, braced on old, crumbling stone.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4Rh6RXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMiBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTQ6MDE6MjcgMTE6NDQ6MjcAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAFeKADAAQAAAAB AAAIpQAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAABdEAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABlAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AxcfEuvcxlTHWPfAYxolxJH0WtWni9CzjY2s0PYXExI/dOx8x +4/2v/cQcFkPp27txLYLCWvBga1PZ72WfuPYur6L0XO/ZzWWHZlPsfkZNrbHNa57g2pmRsczLbkv ymUtyMr1NmzM+0W1KPHjiRxEPQ81zM8IhUQYyBs9bbfRel3UdOxhY0AsbfYT4Fx2sH+auT6jgPra AQSHDcDHiV2w6T1YU00C+ptdLNhYy29kyHh/6VrvU/SOdVs/0Vfqel+l/WaaPVui9TyzXNtGNTWx 3ptqLhu26/pXPqc/27vZs/8APvpqWgdGhy3O8GSZkL4zennKT5/bUWaERKqvYZkLV6tS6vMtrBkV GDrrJ1/O939VUNCNdCq+URgRQp1jD3QDtpo19rjyptap7PBWcLG9W4CNO4Ucp0FsMFGy2OndLdfD 7NG+a1ScPBr3Haxo0Lzz+H5zv5CK4Mx6PJoLjHeBJXO9TvsyMo7j7a+B5ke539ZQC5nVfqboekbU 7DOu4bnOhhhrS6TGsfeiY/WcPJcGD2OdwHiAfmubpaT6gH+iefkoAlokHUap/tjXVbp1jT1v2bE9 YWemN4BG2NJPl9FJZX7Ucek+r/hAfS+8bv8AqWpKLhP40rX94/8AoL//0K+Iw+nuaJ202OJ4/wAC /VGfXW6n0ntaQxraHtj2FtAobTsY7/Aes/Ltxa/8F6ifp9woxg5zQTtAIIBkFu0gtd9Lc1bfRsvC zWNqGHUSwBuz0multUiltjI/mKW2v9Gr/B+p7EuXn6NdSC7PP4ZyMZjaMacemrFY8XW1ssZUcK30 h7XubXjsxN7X/nX4H2urLxf+69OVT/hFY6RQRZjPu9Fz67MGtzmsIdufn5j/ANBY6x3oUO9H9NTt f9ou9L9Iz0fTXZt6X0yGvPTsMO9lpOxo99TfRos/md+7Hre+ur/RsVHqGJ0umqH4lD2vZ6ZZ6DC0 MLhkbK2w51VfrsZkP9T+cv8A0ql476dvwcyETM8IGryF2LjOwMayT6z6xLSPaQPoltn/AJJYeRQW mByun6rfjuE0sFQ3OcQ0BoLnnfbYWNDf0ltnufYsF72OeSeT2VbmpiqrUvQ4IyGOEZbgUhx6HFsw tnpWO1p3BDrbRVjFznBpiYPgVc6VtJM9uFQMr8mSZqBR54L6zXu9Mvk7joIPs938hyoXYbDY622d roIYNHOdHvE/mtb+8tbqVDn1vc3dEQ8CPcADp7v3vorNdeTkPqewvqbtB28sMfSH/kEtRqtxz9IQ 1NLXOaxja27HENa0ctHt9x9yrtabQBkVteO7mgMePm32u/tLXx6KZNjLWvBa5o7HUfnNQW149Z/S PFkfmM1B/rPQEmS7a37Nb6XpbhsL/UJ/khu0O2/v+5JWRdaSXzoHDTtBDvb/ANFJLil3V9j/AP/R ptZlbGe2WhjZl0dh+bCvYRfWxxqJa9/7sCCP5X7yxWYmYza9lm2QILdIEeSu4/2jQWXF0eLJEqjj mYSNEavUmpRojtu93TlOp+rzMiyPUZjlu+dYLhI/Bc1k9R9SXte93qAbmhpiB2/dWySWfVEHk+kB o2OXfurlb97h7dx8trirGXMYixuWnyeOPFkP+skEWbkgAzIHbcCP4LMAtdZvYNw5kEFXn0PJJdZt /kEf+SQLMI3V7HXDbOoY0A/5zfcq5ymXzFvEHo0MjJfc7a2SzSf5RHb+qr3R+rOxnCu136KdrXHl v/kq3IT+ntFZZJLoHvgST/3xqlh9OwfVrZZkekAP0j7BDQPztoqY+x7v3Kv0f/GJEwMaYuGYkTIi q16/4PC7Wf1QWZWHhxY2jJua3LtqJDhXBcamPrDrK/W/Puq+hR6iyG5OU31KMhjyyq57cbKeHNN9 YMMt3f4Z7WbWequkyP2V0z6v59/S2PGd09zMbHzrz+kLr3Mdb9lY72sY7HHsrY3+Z/64q+D1G/6w t6zZk49dQ+z0Fja5eG2B9jW217j7bHep/wBtV+mjwejoRrr4taGThzGdSEbEal2lw/o/4fG5eJms psIfoCCAe0u/eS9dgtLTwzTd4nus+3LoYyuxrIrs3NY+4lrnGs7LHQ1u1rVexMSzJrFoa2trocGg uMtcA/eDa2r8x276H/XFGYjchvjJAmgRq2vUZ6BE+4vDo8gC3/vySj9jqj/zLy/e+ikmaeKfT3G9 v//SFRUzYzTQNHl2VugNGoAVJjLSxo9QDQfHgcKzRW9p1te74wsz9I+b1ZHpepuc5v1WBB1DG+Xd cvdbYXTu8wtyzIaegeh3gCPmsW1jSZjRS55AxFNflImPHfXJJF6pMCZPwThrSdWgn4cqQb/JU2jb 2AVZtlb0Gu5YI/qg6pn4dZGrto8ICm65re8wq92UXGOE5j1Wyq2DpzqhaXNaXEscJr4bVU3Z