Reckless Abandon Read Online Free PDF

...” Monica’s hands never leave the wheel. It’s like she was expecting this.
    I swish some water around my mouth and spit the rest of my nerves onto the side of the road and get back in the car. I take a cleansing breath and turn to Monica, who is still watching me with suspicion.
    “Well, now that that’s over with, let’s get to it. I’ve got a band-aid that needs removing.”

 

    Chapter Four
     
    “That’s Rae’s car.” I tilt my chin to the lone blue Saab in the DROP parking lot.
    Monica speaks through clenched teeth. “Should we wait here for Bo to show up— if he’s going to show up?”
    “First, he probably won’t be here today -”
    “No,” Monica interrupts, “he said he wouldn’t be at the meeting. He didn’t say he’d ditch work all together. Is he ten years old?”
    “Relax, Monica! I need to talk to Rachel anyway, regardless if Bo shows. I haven’t talked to her, and she’s tried to call me ...” I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out of the car.
    “I’ll wait here.”
    “Thanks.” I shut the door harder than necessary and focus on my pace toward the building.
    I reach the door and shakily grasp the handle, reminding myself that Rachel was the victim of Bill and Tristan’s scheme—I just fell into the middle. As soon as the door shuts behind me, her voice sings from an office at the end of the hall.
    “Hello?” I hear her chair move and her feet heading toward the door. “Is that you, Bowan? I thought you weren’t—” She stops when she reaches the door and sees me, still standing by the entrance. I resist the urge to turn it into an exit.
    “Hi.”
    “Ember ...” She takes a cautious step out of her office and two more down the hall.
    “I just wanted to come a little early...to talk to you.” This is only a half-lie. I break from her gaze and stare at the floor for a second. I look back up when I hear her running toward me. She has a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
    “I’m so happy you’re here!” She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes the nerves from my body. Without consult, tears flee from my eyes as I hug her back.
    “I’m sorry I haven’t returned your calls. I just...needed some time. It was incredibly selfish of me.” I pull back and run the tip of my index finger under my eyes to avoid a mascara disaster.
    “Don’t be silly. Come into my office, we can sit.” She leads me by the hand to her office, not releasing her grip until I’m seated.
    She seems as bubbly as ever, but there’s a stress around her eyes that wasn’t there a couple of weeks ago. She looks thinner, too, if that’s even possible.
    “How are you doing with everything that’s gone on?” I cross my legs.
    She brushes my question away with her hand. “Fuckers. They’re such assholes to mess with me, especially through my brother, for God’s sake! Bowan should have known better, too, than to keep it from me ...” I reflexively flinch a little at his name. She always calls him Bowan, and it reminds me that he’s human, a real thing—not something that happened in my dreams. “I’m sorry. Listen, how are yo u ? I can’t believe Bill went after you like that. Ember ...”
    “Yeah. No. It’s fine. I mean, it wasn’t, but now it is.” My ramble is annoying me, so I shake my head and swallow to regroup. “Dude’s clearly got some issues.” I shrug and force out a chuckle.
    “No shit. He likely won’t spend any time in jail. And, really, that’s fine with me—he’d never make it anyway. I’m just glad I never have to see him in these halls again.” While her voice is firm, I don’t miss the brief mist passing through her eyes.
    She hasn’t mentioned my knowing about the blackmail before she did. Maybe she doesn’t know. I decide not to say anything.
    “How is he?” I blurt out before I allow myself to think it over.
    Rae takes a deep breath, as she seems to carefully choose her words. “Well. He’s been better. He’s certainly been worse,