By a Thread by Jennifer Estep Read Free Book Online

her friend’s hand. “I’m so thrilled for you.”
    â€œThanks. I’ve never been happier.”
    Callie finally noticed me watching them, and her eyes flicked from me to Bria and back again. “Hey, who’s your friend?”
    Friend? Bria and Callie talked all the time, from what my sister said. Surely, Bria had told her about me—right?
    Bria hesitated. She sat back down on her stool to buy herself a few more seconds to answer, and I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as she decided exactly what to say about me. “This is Gin, my . . . sister.”
    Callie frowned. “But I thought that all your family was dead. Your foster parents and your birth family.”
    Bria gave her a tight smile. “I did too, until a few months ago. Things have . . . changed since then.”
    Well, I supposed that was one way of putting it. I stared at Bria, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
    The seconds ticked by, with only the conversation of the other diners and the clatter of their dishes to fill in the silence. When it became obvious that Bria wasn’t going to offer any more explanation about who I was and where I’d come from, Callie cleared her throat and held out her hand to me.
    â€œPlease forgive me for being rudeand not introducing myself. Callie Reyes.”
    â€œGin Blanco.” I shook her hand. She had a strong grip, and her fingers were warm from the heat of the kitchen.
    â€œGin?” she asked.
    I held up my gin and tonic and shook the glass, rattling the ice cubes and slice of lime inside. “Gin. Like the liquor.”
    â€œI see. So what do you do, Gin? Are you a cop like Bria is?”
    Bria gasped and choked on the hush puppy that she’d just popped into her mouth. She made a few strangled sounds before she was able to swallow. Looked like my nighttime activities were something else Bria hadn’t told her best friend about.
    Callie frowned. “Are you okay? Do you need some water?”
    â€œNo, I’m fine,” Bria wheezed, taking a sip of her mojito. “Just fine.”
    Her lips tightened, and she sat up straight on her stool, tension gathering in her shoulders. She didn’t look at me, even though I was right next to her.
    For the first time, I realized that my sister was actually embarrassed by me—ashamed, even. Well, not by me exactly, but by the fact that I was the Spider. That I was an assassin. That I’d killed as many people as she’d arrested as a cop. Sure, I still killed people, but usually only to protect my friends, family, or myself. I didn’t slice and dice for money anymore. No, these days, the only jobs I occasionally took on were for good, decent folks who had problems that no one else could solve. With Mab’s death, I thought that Bria and I had finally moved beyond mybloody past.
    Apparently not.
    â€œActually, I run a restaurant just like you do,” I said, finally answering Callie’s question. “The Pork Pit, serving up the best barbecue in Ashland.”
    The other woman grinned at me. “Well, it’s not barbecue, but I hope that you’ll find the food here to your liking.”
    My smile was as cold and brittle as hers was warm and friendly. “Oh, I always like to see what the competition’s up to.”
    Callie knew a half-assed insult when she heard one, and the grin slowly faded from her face. I had to stop myself from wincing. I didn’t often let my emotions get the best of me, but I sounded like a petty, jealous bitch, and I was acting like one too.
    â€œWell, I hope you enjoy your meal,” Callie said in a fainter voice. “I’ve got to get back to the kitchen. You know how it is. Bria, I’ll be back just as soon as I get a break. Don’t even think about leaving until we catch up on everything that you’ve been up to in Ashland—and I do mean everything .”
    Callie stared at me once more before turning,