Blood Haze Read Online Free PDF Page A

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    Swiping
a hand against her running nose, she sighed when she saw the dark smear on her
hand in the moonlight. Grabbing another tissue, she pressed it against her nose
once again. At this rate, she’d bleed to death. What was happening to her?
She’d never had this many glimpings in a row. It felt as if things were
building to a head or something.
    The
last dream she had was different from the previous ones– different and
terrifying. The interior of the car was dark with the exception of the
dashboard dials. Music was blaring loudly from the car’s speakers. She looked
down and saw the familiar slide of a hand moving up a leg. The darkness once
again kept their identity secret. The man leaned into the unknown woman and
pressed his lips against the base of her throat. She moaned and wrapped her
bare legs around his waist.
    Arabella
strained to see them, but her efforts were in vain. It was then she became
aware of the difference in the dream… this time the car was moving. She could
see cars as they flashed by quickly. She heard a loud horn blare… right before
the car began to flip over and over again. She woke up with a jerk, an unknown
fear assailing her.

 
      The sun had barely risen when Arabella rose
groggily from her bed and stepped under the hot spray of the shower. She had a
catering job at noon and still needed to finish the prep work. Her mother had
started the catering business when she’d left the stage. She and her mother had
run it until her mother’s untimely death. Now, she worked it by herself. A Fair
Lady Catering Service would never be a multimillion dollar company, but she was
busy enough.
    She
padded through the house she’d lived in the bulk of her life, heading to the
kitchen in search of a much needed cup of coffee. The familiarity of every
piece of furniture and knick knack gave her comfort. As she sat at the kitchen
table and blew across her coffee’s surface, unease settled low in her belly.
She wished Drew was there to comfort her, as he’d been doing for more than half
her life.
    Needing
his calming assurance and feeling the need to cling to him with both hands, she
grabbed her cellphone from the charger and punched in his number. It rang five
times before switching to voicemail. She sighed heavily. He’d said he had to
work this morning, then was heading up to visit his mother. Next, she punched
in Ian’s number.
    “This
better be damned important,” her brother’s voice growled through the line.
    “Hey,
little brother. Rough night?” she asked, happy that he’d answered.
    “No,
just a late one. Why are you up so early on a Saturday? Didn’t you work last
night?” he asked.
    “I
did, but I have the Hamptons’ job today. I just wanted to check on you before I
began. You doin’ okay?”
    She
heard him groan as he sat up and yawned loudly into the phone. “Yep, as I said,
I just stayed out too late last night.”
    “I
thought you were going out with Drew to meet with the Rowing Team tonight?” she
said disapprovingly.
    “I
am, Mother . I’m young. Unlike you, I
can stay out two nights in a row and not fall over in a dead heap.”
    “I’m
sorry. I just worry about you,” she said softly.
    “I
know, but I’m fine - fine, but in desperate need of coffee.”
    “Promise
me, you’ll be extra careful tonight,” she pleaded mildly.
    “I’ll
be with Drew. How much trouble could I possibly get into? He’s almost as dull
as you are,” he said with a mocking laugh.
    “I
love you, too, Ian,” she said, returning his laugh.
    “Go
to work and let me get back to sleep,” he groused.
    “Okay.
How about brunch tomorrow? I’ll make the chicken and waffles you like,” she
said enticingly.
    “You
certainly know the way to a man’s heart. Okay, Sunday brunch… count me in. Make
sure there’s lots of Bloody Mary mix. I have a feeling I’ll be needing it.”
    She
laughed. “I will. Bye, Ian. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “Later,”
he replied, an instant before