Blood Bond Read Online Free PDF Page B

Cambria
joined us. My mother’s eyes flickered to the hem on Cambria’s
shorts—which was short enough that the lining on her pockets stuck
out the bottom—and then to Cambria’s purple-streaked hair. Cambria
had re-dyed it last night. My tub was stained plum to prove it.
    “Are we ready?” Cambria asked, oblivious to
my mother’s scrutiny.
    “Let’s go,” Grandma called from the hall.
Cambria and I turned to leave but my mother’s voice stopped me.
    “I almost forgot, George’s mother called for
you the other day,” she said.
    I stiffened, careful to keep my face
neutral. “Oh?”
    “She asked if you knew any way to get a hold
of George. Said she’s had a hard time reaching him at that training
camp he went to in South Carolina.”
    “No, I haven’t talked to him since he left,”
I said. Which wasn’t a lie. I’d spoken to Fee and Grandma to check
on him, but not to George directly.
    “Well, if you do, tell him to call his
mother.”
    “I will,” I promised, hoping he was well
enough to do so.
    “All right, kiddos. Let’s get going.”
Grandma came up behind us. She’d applied a fresh layer of
rose-colored lipstick. A direct contradiction to the sturdy,
leather boots she’d pulled on over her pedal pushers.
    “What’s the deal with George?” Cambria asked
once we were in the car. “I thought you guys broke up.”
    “We did.”
    “Then why is his momma calling you for his
whereabouts?”
    “I’ve known George a long time. He’s the
closest thing to family I’ve got, besides my mom and Grandma.”
    “Family,” Cambria repeated. Her brows shot
up, one disappearing into her side-swept bangs.
    “Yes, family. Like brother and sister.” I
emphasized the last part.
    “And I’m sure he feels exactly the same
about you.”
    “He does,” I said, “although, he may not
realize it.”
    Cambria snorted and said something like
“understatement” under her breath. I pretended not to hear. I
wasn’t going to hash out George’s feelings for me when I wasn’t
even sure what they were. He’d seemed a little friendlier toward
Wes after the attack. And by “friendlier” I meant he hadn’t tried
to use a handshake as a pretense for arm-wrestling him like the day
they’d met.
    Grandma turned down the narrow back road
that led to the gravel drive almost hidden by undergrowth and tree
branches. I cracked the window, not enough to combat the AC on full
blast, but enough to inhale the scent of sun-heated honeysuckle
hanging in the air.
    Cambria made a noise like she was choking.
“Can’t … breathe,” she said in a strangled voice, “too much
humidity out there. Roll up the window.” I held the button until
the glass slid up, sealing us in. “Aahh,” she said, relaxing
against the seat with eyes closed. “How do you manage this? The
humidity will kill you here before Werewolves even get the
chance.”
    “Funny,” I said.
    “Your summers aren’t this hot back home?”
Grandma asked.
    “Summer in Arizona is hot all right, just
not so humid. I feel sticky.”
    “Have you heard anything else about your
mom?” I asked. Cambria’s expression clouded. I watched her try to
blink it away, shrug it off, but it clearly bothered her. “Sorry, I
heard you on the phone earlier and—”
    “It’s fine,” she said, staring straight
ahead. “I haven’t talked to her. The nurse at the center told me a
little but only after I sent them ID. Apparently, she fell at work
and then blew a .14 in the ambulance. Her boss said she could
either do rehab and he’d hold her job, or he’d fire her right then.
I’m still surprised she opted for rehab.”
    “I’m sorry, Cam. How long is she there
for?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of
months, I guess. They said she’d call when she could. I gave her
your mom’s number. Hope that’s okay.”
    “Yeah, that’s fine,” I said.
    I was careful how I responded. This was the
most open Cambria had been about her personal life since that