Blood Price (The Blankenships Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page A

so—”
     
    “Businesslike?”
     
    Claire laughed. “Mr. CEO. Yeah. Even when he was in college, being a party-boy, he was so good. Leo and Luke dragged him around with them causing all sorts of trouble, and he went along with it, but he was always aware that it was different for him. Because…” She shrugged, her eyes flicking away.
     
    “I grew up in Louisiana,” Zoey said. “I’ve seen how differently some people get treated, and sometimes folks don’t even realize that they’re doing it.”
     
    Claire nodded slowly. “Mother thought we’d be all set because we were no where near as dark as her. But Daddy—” the girl’s voice choked off. Zoey opened her arms to offer a hug, but Claire took a step back, her hand up. “It doesn’t matter, now. He’s dead. Thank God.” She wiped her eyes, carefully preserving her make-up, and forced a grin onto her face. It didn’t come anywhere close to her eyes.
     
    “I’m sorry,” Zoey said. She didn’t know what else to say. What a way to grow up, torn between your mother’s fears for you, and the knowledge that your father had married your mother just to get her money. I’m sorry was woefully inadequate, but it was the best she had.
     
    Claire gave a fluid shrug. “No harm done,” she lied. “Enjoy London. I’m going to get some rest. Back to school tomorrow!”
     
    She turned and disappeared down the hall towards her room in the penthouse. It wasn’t even eight o’clock, but Zoey didn’t think anything good would come from pointing that out.
     
    Alex let her know that they had a flight booked for very early in the morning. He suggested that she get a few hours sleep now, and he’d wake her in time to leave for the airport. She nodded, kissed him, and thought about asking if he was going to join her. But his face was distant and focused on something else, and she was afraid of trying to interrupt. She was afraid she’d try and be rebuffed. It wasn’t something she wanted to see, not yet.
     
    She didn’t manage to sleep well. She was caught up in tangled and confused dreams where she was running away from something she couldn’t see clearly. She woke, tangled in the sheets, with the sense that she’d just screamed. A hand lay on her shoulder, too tight, and she heard a little screech from her mouth as she tried to brush it away, the cobwebs of her dreams still clinging to her.
     
    And then Alex was there, close and in her face, gripping both her shoulders. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice quiet and careful. “You’re okay. It was a bad dream.”
     
    She flung herself into his arms like a child, the angle awkward, sobs twisting her face. He held her carefully, stroking her back with a softness that somehow encouraged her to relax without making her feel like he needed her upset to stop for his benefit.
     
    Slowly, she calmed, relaxing in his arms. “What happened?” he asked. “Do you want to talk about it?”
     
    “I don’t remember the dream,” she said. “Someone was hurt. Someone was hurt, and we had to run. That’s all.”
     
    “It’s over now,” he said. “We don’t have to run.”
     
    But the twins do. The thought came to her, entirely unbidden. She shivered.
     
    “It’s time to go,” he said. “Are you ready to get dressed?”
     
    “Yes,” she said. “But I need to make a quick phone call.”
     
    “Is it something you can do from the car?”
     
    “Okay. Yes, that’s fine.”
     
    She pulled herself out of the plush, warm bed, went to the bathroom to pee, and then got dressed. Someone had already brought their luggage down to the waiting car, and Sophia had laid out the jeans and teal sweater that Alex had bought her, along with the brilliantly red lingerie.
     
    It was interesting, this life where you could afford to have other people do so much of your thinking for you. Mind boggling, even. No wonder the super rich could afford to sit around and just dream up ways to become richer. They