Broken (The Immortal Coven Book 1) by April Gutierrez Read Free Book Online Page A

the trees at street level block the full extent of the concrete structure, but it was one of the biggest houses in Brooksville I’d ever seen.
    “No one is home.” He interrupted my thought.
    I looked over and realized he was waiting for me at his car.
    “It’s beautiful.”
    “Thanks.” was all he replied, basically waiting for me to come back to where he was.
    Fine. He didn’t want to show me his house. He didn’t have to say it for me to catch his drift.
    Shrugging my shoulders and heading his way, I realized our little adventure was going to be on his terms. As I reached the car door, he flashed me a smile that spoke volumes. We were spending time together…not sharing it with anyone else.
    “You ready?” he asked, his tone clear with concern.
    “Yes.” A three letter word I could find myself using with him a lot.
    We got into the car and within moments the Charger roared to life. It was then, I understood why he asked me if I was ready. The black leather interior superficially gripped my soul and did little to protect the underlying fear.
    “Take a breath, Celia.” Dmitri ordered.
    I shifted my face to him and saw clearly how worried he’d become. His forehead filled with several deep crease lines.
    Had I done that? Did I look so terrified sitting in the front seat of his unmoving vehicle?
    Closing my eyes tight, I released the air I had involuntarily been holding. Doing as he said was easier than I thought it would be.
    “We don’t have to go anywhere, you know. We can just sit here and talk.” His voice now thicker; masculine even. I had to look up at him to make sure he was being serious.
    “I just…” I stammered, “I think I just need a minute.”
    His hand reached out and took mine in his own. I intertwined my fingers with his and just looked at our clasped hands. “I’ll give you all the minutes you need.” He whispered.
    “I was in a car accident a little over a month ago.” I admitted to him. I could feel the knot in my throat already forming.
    “Yeah, I know” he replied, shifting his view out the front windshield. The manner in which he said it stirred an inner alarm.
    “How do you know?” I breathed, my voice scratched, the curiosity more as to what the town had gossiped about regarding my mother’s death.
    “We live in Brooksville, Celia. One thing I’ve learned since I moved here is how fast news travels, and your mom had a lot of friends in this area.” He paused, looking at me again. “The accident was all over the newspaper, along with your picture. I learned about it just like everyone else.”
    “I hadn’t realized.” I murmured to myself, vainly wondering which picture they’d chosen to go along with the article.
    “I was in an accident once; a long time ago. It took a considerable amount of time for me to be the person I was before then. If it hadn’t been for a friend, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
    “Are you trying to tell me you want to be that person for me?” I asked him sarcastically.
    “Don’t knock it. I’m a really good friend. I know how to make soup for when you’re sick, cupcakes for birthdays, and I can even keep up with Calculus.” He chuckled to himself.
    “Hmmm…” I pondered where he was going with all this.
    “So basically, what you’re saying is that I would be foolish not to be your friend.” I started, shifting so I was comfortably facing him in the leathery seat.
    I watched as his body followed mine.
    “Absolutely.” He grinned. “But that’s all I should be…your friend.” He added as a warning.
    “That’s all I need, Dmitri.” I shot back, my eyes falling back to his hand holding mine. The warmth transferring from each palm.
    “Yeah, well…” he stammered, letting go of it as if it was poison. “There are boundaries I suppose I haven’t learned yet.”
    “Those should be clear from the start of this friendship. It would make things simpler.” I added.
    Nodding his head, he faced the steering