Speed Demons Read Online Free PDF Page B

feel such devotion for her new car, even if it was the same type. A red Dodge Viper. Sleek, fast, and like a roaring tigress beneath her when she took her out on the course. Not missing the fact that she regarded her car, at least the old one, as a female being, Evie decided to take the plunge. Be a little more personal and let Blythe a tiny bit closer. “We should name my new Viper too.”
    Blythe looked up, clearly interested. “So, same type of car. What color?”
    “Red. Again.”
    “All right…” Blythe lay draped along the armrest, ending up closer to Evie. Her curls bounced around her cheeks as her eyes looked brighter than before. Ice blue to warm, soft aqua in less than a minute. “Female?”
    “Absolutely. Female and feline, I’d say.”
    “Chloe.”
    “Almost. It has a nice ring,” Evie said slowly. “Something exotic like that. Try again.”
    “This isn’t my strong suit.” Blythe’s teeth sank into her lower lip. “Let’s see.” She sat in silence for a few moments, her fingers moving in small circles on the armrest, following the texture of the fabric. “I’ve got it!” Blythe slammed her open hand on her thigh. “The perfect name for your car.”
    “Well, are you going to tell me?” Evie leaned forward, nudging Blythe’s knee impatiently. “Come on, don’t keep me in suspense.”
    Blythe looked down at Evie’s hand and seemed to catch her breath. “I think you should call her Chase.”
    “Brilliant.” Evie grinned. “That’s a great choice. We should have a christening party or something. A naming ceremony. But let’s not slam them with champagne bottles or anything like that.” Evie covered her mouth with her hand when a new giggle emerged.
    “Slam Viktoria with a bottle? No way.”
    “I’ll get tons of bumps and scrapes on Chase, but I refuse to deliberately hit her with a bottle.”
    “There are other ways to treat a gorgeous lady,” Blythe said, then colored a pretty pink. “I mean…eh, I don’t know what I mean.”
    A sudden hard bang against the east wall rescued her. The wind gave a sorrowful howl as it tore at the house. Blythe looked decidedly uneasy when the sound rose and fell but never really went away.
    “Will it be like this the whole time?” Blythe now rubbed both her hands on her designer True Religion jeans. “The storm?” She was paler now.
    Without thinking, Evie moved over to the couch. “Hey. The house is solid. We’re safe. I’ve sat out more than my share of storms here. Been snowed in too.” Why was the storm upsetting Blythe so much that she had a hard time concealing her reaction? Blythe was evidently very unnerved about showing any personal so-called shortcomings and was actually trembling. Fine tremors moved from Blythe and over to Evie.
    “I know.” Blythe took a deep, shaky breath. “I do know. It’s just the sound.” She paused and closed her eyes hard as the wind roared again. “It makes me—it brings back bad memories.”
    “I understand.” Actually, Evie wasn’t entirely sure she did, but she guessed this had to do with an assignment in one dreadful place or another. “Will it help if you hold my hand?”
    “Perhaps.” Blythe tentatively extended her hand. “So much for being the intrepid photojournalist that Katie Couric designated me.”
    “Oh, she had it right.” Evie took Blythe’s cold, trembling hand in hers. “Nobody in their right mind can witness what you’ve seen and not have some sort of reaction.”
    Blythe looked blankly at Evie, maybe trying to determine if she was being condescending. Evie hoped she hadn’t sounded too flippant, which wasn’t what she intended.
    “I normally don’t acknowledge these…these flashbacks.” Blythe spoke quietly. “The roar of the storm combined with the whistling gusts of wind sounds like incoming mortars and distant canons. Quite eerie.”
    “Glad you told me. Those of us who haven’t lived through something like that are clueless unless we learn about