Blood Bond (Anna Strong Chronicles #9) by Jeanne C. Stein Read Free Book Online Page A

Williams?”
    “What about him?”
    “You knew him.”
    “Not well. Met him once or twice through Anna.”
    “His body was found outside of Palm Springs. You and Anna had been at the Palm Springs home of Anna’s boyfriend, Lance Turner, at the very same time. In fact, according to our reports, Williams was killed coming back to San Diego just hours after you two left to come home.”
    Frey’s expression remains neutral, betraying neither interest nor surprise at the revelation.
    His detachment seems to trip Harris’ temper. “So you and Anna are in the vicinity of two murders at two different locations and times, know the victims and are alibi witnesses for each other. Is that about it?”
    At that, Frey registers shock. “Do we need alibis, Detective?” he asks.
    Harris lumbers to his feet. “You two have it all figured out, don’t you?” He shakes his head at us, then his eyes widen as they settle on the diamond ring on my left hand. He looks from the ring to Frey and shakes his head again.
    “Better be careful with this one,” he says. “Her track record with men is lousy.”

CHAPTER 6
     
    W E WAIT FOR HARRIS TO CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND him before I explode. “I don’t think he’s ever going to let go of this.”
    Frey’s expression remains cool and undisturbed. “What can he do? He has no evidence to link us to either crime. He thinks by pushing he’s going to get us to crack. He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”
    “Or what he’s dealing with,” I growl. “But I want you to know that if it comes down to it, and somehow he finds out it was you who shot Judith Williams, I’m going to take the blame. I’ll confess. I won’t have you punished for something that was my fault.”
    Frey smiles one of those cat-and-canary smiles that really means,
I’d never let you do that
. But on this, I would insist. Frey shot Judith Williams because I told him to. It was a complicated situation and she was a rogue vampire, but he shot her at my insistence nonetheless.
    Frey catches up my hand. “Let’s go get John-John, shall we? Enjoy this beautiful day?”
    I call David and tell him to wait at the ice cream shop, that we’re on our way. I lock the office door and we stroll hand in hand down the boardwalk to Seaport Village. Soon, I feel my irritation dissolve like snow in sunshine.
    Frey has my right hand, the one where Sani’s ring now sits after being displaced by the brilliant diamond that I can’t keep my eyes off.
    Frey catches me glancing down for the tenth time and laughs, squeezing my hand. “So you like it? It’s not too old-fashioned?”
    “God, no, it’s gorgeous.” The words pop out before I can censor the reply. After all, I am Anna Strong. Vampire. Bad ass. Getting sentimental over an engagement ring is out of character. But it’s so beautiful. My eyes seek Frey’s. “You’ve made me happier than I thought possible. I almost feel human again.”
    He drops my hand and puts an arm around my shoulders. “You are human, Anna. More human than ninety percent of the mortals I know. You just happen to have another aspect to your nature. It’s a big one. But it’s only one part.” He holds up my left hand and lets the sun play on the ring, sending sparks of rainbow light dancing. “You’re like this diamond. It takes all the facets of this ring to make it brilliant. It takes all the facets of your nature to make you who you are.”
    I’ve never been a sappy romance-novel type of gal, but I swear, Frey may turn me into one. We’ve known each other from the very beginning of my existence as a vampire. Has he always felt this way about me?
    Frey tugs on a strand of my hair. “Too much? What are you thinking?”
    I pull him over to guardrail, out of the way of other boardwalk strollers. I pull his head down and wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m thinking I’ve wasted too much fucking time.” And then I kiss him, putting all I am, all I hope to be for him and all I promise