The Broken One (Corisi Billionaires, #1)(73)

“Why?” Judy paced the office. “Are they dangerous? Criminals? What if they’re in some kind of trouble? My father would want to know, and he’d want to help them.”

Grace made a pained face. “Wouldn’t he be looking for them if he did? Maybe you could just ask him about them?”

“He doesn’t know about them, and I can’t ask him about any of this because whenever he talks about his family, he gets sad.”

“That sounds like a really good reason to listen to Alethea.”

“My father didn’t get where he is by letting people tell him what he couldn’t do. Only in school are we rewarded for being well behaved and quiet. Out in the world it’s the brave and daring who make a difference.”

Shaking her head, Grace said, “You just want to keep looking.”

Judy shrugged. “Wouldn’t you?”

Grace looked around the office before answering. “I wouldn’t, but I understand why you do. So what’s next?”

Judy took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. “I have other people I can ask for help.” She touched on a name of someone she knew wouldn’t go running back to her parents if she asked him for a favor.

She texted: Uncle Jeremy, I need your help with a school project.

Less than a moment later his response came back. Absolutely.

Judy: It may require some hacking.

Jeremy: Are you texting using encrypted software?

Judy: Of course I am.

Jeremy: Then what do you need?

Judy: I’m working on a family tree for my father, and it’s a surprise. Can you keep a secret?





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am so grateful to everyone who was part of the process of creating The Broken One.

Thank you to:

Montlake Romance, for being as excited about this new series as I am. Special thanks to Lauren Plude for encouraging me each step of the way.

My very patient beta readers. You know who you are. Thank you for kicking my butt when I need it.

My editors: Karen Lawson, Janet Hitchcock, and Krista Stroever. As well as all the talented line editors who polished away my mistakes.

My Roadies, for making me smile each day when I log on to my computer. So many of you have become friends. Was there life before the Roadies? I’m sure there was, but it wasn’t as much fun.

Thank you to my husband, Tony, who is a saint—simple as that.

And my children, who have given me so many wonderful memories. I hope my love for them shines through in every story I write.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Cardello is a New York Times bestselling author who loves writing about rich alpha men and the strong women who tame them. She was born the youngest of eleven children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She’s lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York, and Rhode Island again before moving to Massachusetts, where she now lives with her husband and three children. Before turning her attention to writing, Ruth was an educator for two decades, including eleven years as a kindergarten teacher. The Broken One is the first book in her Corisi Billionaires series. Learn about Ruth’s new releases by signing up for her newsletter at www.RuthCardello.com.