Reed (Allen Securities) by Madison Stevens Read Free Book Online Page A

way to the house. Reed had already unlocked the door and was inside when Kace walked past her.
    He stopped when he was just next to her and stared directly into her eyes.
    “He’ll protect you with all he has. Make sure you don’t betray that.” His clear blue eyes seemed to drill into her.
    “Well, I’m just here until this blows over with my brother.”
    He pinned her for a moment longer before his eyes crinkled on the end, and he barked out a laugh.
    “You keep telling yourself that,” he said. Smile still firmly in pace, Kace turned and made his way to the car. She watched in silence as the two drove out of sight.
    Olivia looked at the impressive house and sighed. Regardless of what Kace thought, she was in no position for anything other than saving her brother from whatever he had gotten himself into.
     
    The front door closed loudly, and Reed let out a sigh. For a moment he thought her friend might have talked her out of staying with him. Not that he would let her leave, but it did make it easier that he didn’t need to put a tail on her.
    Reed walked slowly around the kitchen. Those Russian bastards had really nailed him good. The skin on his side was sensitive to the touch, and a few blood blisters were already taking root. He didn’t think his rib was broken, but there was a chance he had cracked it. It was his first experience with a side injury, but the possible concussion was his main worry.
    As he riffled through the freezer, he heard the light tread of her shoes as she came into the kitchen. He pulled two bags of frozen peas out and turned to her. Her already pale skin had lost its color, and he wondered if it was from stress or pain. He had watched her stretch the swollen ankle as she talked with her friend. Despite how meek she might look, this was someone who could endure through just about anything.
    “This way.” He motioned through the door.
    Silently, she followed him through the house. He didn’t bother acquainting her with it. They were both tired and needed sleep more than anything. They traveled until they reached the end of the long hallway.
    He opened the doors to his room and felt, more than heard, her shift behind him.
    “This is my room,” he said as he made his way in. “I’ll take the couch.”
    Reed walked into the bathroom and breathed in a large sigh. This was proving harder than he thought. The pain in his side radiated along the whole area, and the head injury was causing some dizziness. If he didn’t get some ibuprofen soon, he might actually need to take that trip to the hospital. He rummaged through the cabinet until the bottle came into view. Shaky, he dumped a few into his hand and chewed them up.
    After splashing some water on his face, he looked at his appearance in the mirror. The bruise was going to take some time to heal. Ash and soot covered him from head to toe. Since he had to remove his shirt and pants, the grime had hit places that should have been covered.
    It had been a close call this time. He was just lucky that Olivia had acted as quickly as she had. This wasn’t his first brush with death, but it was the first time he hadn’t wanted it to happen. The last time he had his world kicked out from under him. He gripped the counter until his fingers turned white. That bastard Neil was going to pay.
    Reed bowed his head and took in deep breaths as he tried to control his anger. His heart leapt when a warm hand tugged gently on his shoulder. Without a thought, he let Olivia lead him back to the room.
    He was too worn to struggle.
    She gently pushed him to sit on the bed. He fell with little grace and winced when he hit the bed hard. Olivia stooped to help with his boots. Reed watched as her nimble fingers worked the laces and tugged at the heavy boots. He sighed when her cool fingers slipped into his socks. There really wasn’t a reason it felt so good, but he suspected there was a part of him that liked being taken care of.
    When she had taken off both