Blood Price (The Blankenships Book 5) by Evelyn Glass Read Free Book Online Page A

such a hard time about it.”
     
    “Leo?”
     
    He nodded. “Leonard Khodorkovsky, though if you ever called him that, he’d probably laugh at you.”
     
    “Wait, the son of the Russian ambassador?”
     
    Alex nodded. “The same.”
     
    She laughed. “Between his diplomatic immunity and your resources, was there anything you two didn’t get away with?”
     
    Alex shook his head. “Not much. But don’t be too impressed by my resources. I’m small potatoes, compared to Leo. His father was one of the oligarchs that took over massive swathes of the dying Soviet industries in the nineties and has done a lot of dark deeds to keep it, to hear Leo tell it. His father left when things between the U.S. and Russian chilled off again, but Leo stayed somehow. I’m not sure the man even really has a visa, but it doesn’t seem to matter to him.” He glanced sideways at Zoey and laughed. “I take it you have a thing for big Russian men?”
     
    “What? No! What makes you think that?”
     
    “You’re staring off into space and chewing on your lower lip. You do that when you’re fantasizing about something.”
     
    Zoey took a deep breath to try and control the eleventy millionth blush she’d experienced in front of Alex. “It’s nothing.”
     
    “Oh, I think it’s something,” he said, and gently bumped his shoulder against hers. “Spill. Unless it’s completely humiliating. Then spill anyway.”
     
    It was dark, and the street was almost empty. She found the words, deep inside. “There’s something in your voice when you talk about him. Like you two were—I don’t know, more than friends?”
     
    Alex was quiet for several steps. It was so strange that even in the busy city, she could hear each and every footfall. The noise, wherever it was happening, was far away. She wasn’t sure she’d ever really heard quiet in New York City. Of course, back home, the wildlife kept things loud. City people always thought the country was quiet, but that was before they’d heard crickets and peepers causing a ruckus all night long, never mind coyotes or owls. “Yes,” he finally said. “I hope that’s not a problem for you.”
     
    She loved the way he said it. Proud of himself and strong, willing to tell her that it was part of him, even if she did have a problem with it. That took courage. “Actually,” she said, “it’s kind of hot to think about it.”
     
    He raised an eyebrow in her direction. She could see it, some, but more, she felt it in the quality of his gaze. “Is that so?”
     
    “Yes. I’ve seen pictures of him before, in the press, or at diplomatic events that I was 'lucky' enough to cover. He’s huge. Not fat, but—gigantic. He looks like he could bench press a lean guy like you. And that would be a thing to see.”
     
    Alex was quiet for several more steps, and then he paused in front of a gorgeous brick building with huge windows that climbed several stories up above her. “This is us,” he said.
     
    She followed him inside, taking their conversation as finished. She tried not to feel affronted. After all, for all the pretty words, it had been a week or so. He was allowed to keep his secrets.
     
    She followed him up to an elevator—there wasn’t an official button pusher, but he clearly knew which floor they were going to, so she didn’t try to beat him to the buttons—and into a scene out of Jane Austin novel, where the household greets the Lord who has been abroad. In his shirt and tie, he fit in just fine, while she stared at the three servants who were very carefully not observing her. There was a tall, thin woman, dressed in the sort of stark black that made her pale skin almost ghoulish, her hair shot through with artful blond highlights that were too light for her complexion. She held a planner like a knight held his shield. Next to her was a smaller woman, younger, with a South Asian look. She was dressed something like a chef in certain types of restaurants, with a