Blood Ties by Josephine Barly Read Free Book Online

comfortable.”
    “Yes, I think that will help, thanks.”
    “Okay then. I’ll leave you t o get ready and we’ll leave in…twenty minutes?”
    “Sure thing.”
    Jared left my bedroom, closing the door behind him. I turned off the TV, turned on my CD player and jumped around and klutzily danced as I changed out of my pajamas, put on black trousers, a dotted grey and black long-sleeved shirt, black high-heels, and combed my hair into a bun.
    Jared drove my car to the office. It was nice being able to look at the streets and shops without having to worry about crashing into another car o passing a red light for a change. Plus, I had music privileges, and Jared was forced to listen to what I liked. He didn’t complain because he knew it’d be useless. We made a pit stop at Starbucks and got to the building where Orchid Books is situated. We rode the elevator and, just as we were reaching the fourteenth floor, Jared grabbed my hand.
    The elevator doors opened and I led Jared across the hallway. I introduced him to Annie, the receptionist, and as she smiled flirting at him, she remembered to give me a sympathetic look. While we walked around the floor, heads popped up from cubicles and out of offices, partly due to the visitor, and also because I was expected to act like a drama queen. But I refused to have unwanted pity felt for me, so I put on a fake smile and went to my office.
    Maggie, my assistant, was already waiting for me there. She hugged me and handed me five sheets of paper full of messages. I placed them on my desk with Jared’s supposed manuscript, and saw Kelly’s as well. I’d check it out later or tomorrow. I had a couple of meetings during the day, and I couldn’t put them off. I introduced her to Jared and after acknowledging his presence with a somewhat playful smile, she turned back to me.
    “Mark had me move your meeting with Andrea for Monday, in case you weren’t up for it. You’re still getting together with Cameron at eleven; he’s already confirmed he couldn’t move the date. Besides, his book is finished and he already said he just wants to go over the presentation and distribution details. Mark also told me to tell you to call him once you’re done with Cameron. Will you be having lunch with Jared?”
    “Yes Maggie, thanks. I’ll check these messages and get back to you if I need anything else.”
    “Okay Sam,” Maggie said as she left my office and closed the door behind her.
    “So, what shall we do now?” Jared asked as he spun around in his chair like a kid.
    I smiled and shrugged. I had a couple of hours before my meeting with Cameron, and besides reading ‘ Jared’s’ manuscript and going over my messages, I had to send emails to the marketing and designs teams.
    “Don’t you have to call Aidan?”
    “I guess I can check up on him. I’ll just let him know we’re here and that everything’s fine. Do you mind if I call him from here, or will it be a distraction?”
    “I wouldn’t mind at all, I can work with background sounds, or whatever you want to call it.”
    So Jared called Aidan as I read the manuscript yet again, this time marking doubts I had for the fact-checker to corroborate, as well as certain spelling mistakes that the proofreader had overlooked. I am very thorough with my work, and I’d hate it if any reader of Orchid Books found any sort of mistakes in texts I’ve edited.
    By the time Jared had hung up, the mood had become quite tense. I looked at him quizzically and placed the manuscript down. I was halfway through it and I still had most of the day to finish it.
    “Something’s come up Sam,” Jared said gravely.
    “What?” I asked; I didn’t know if I should freak out from his serious manners or if I should wait until he’d given me the news.
    “Do you remember Riley, the bomb expert?”
    I nodded and looked at Jared expectantly.
    “The thing is, Riley managed to get some fingerprints from different pieces of plastic and things that were