The Price of Pleasure by Kresley Cole Read Free Book Online Page A

slapped him. The entire group grew silent.
    I was almost between them when he slapped her back, so hard her teeth snapped together and her lip split. I helped her up and forced myself to be calm. I told him we were tired and that we would see them in the morning, then bade him good night. We turned and slowly walked away. As soon as we entered the brush, a loud cry broke out. They yelled and laughed, and we could hear them readying for the chase and making claims on Cammy and the “young one.”
    Grant tensed when a bolt of lightning flashed nearby, punctuating the words. The drizzle persisted, and the lantern flickered. He thought more insects had settled on the glass, until the light completely guttered out. He lifted the lantern, brows drawn. Bloody hell.
    Out of oil.
    He could read by the fire. He jerked his glance over, but the embers were wet. Rigid with irritation, he folded the journal into an oilskin pouch. He pulled on his jacket and turned up the collar, attempting to sleep. A futile gesture. Victoria had lived, but what had she lived through?
    No wonder she’d been so frightened when he chased her. He rubbed a hand over his face, flinching from his actions. He wanted to find her and assure her that he was there to help. He wanted to comfort her as best as someone like him was able.
    He wanted to read on so badly, the pouch seemed to burn.
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    â€œSo, how’s the campaign?” Cammy asked from beside the popping fire. Though it was wet and gusting outside, they were relatively snug in their hideaway.
    Tori leaned back and placed her hands behind her head. “Today he’ll get a delightful view of the twin seep holes on the west side. And for tomorrow, I planted a trail through the mangrove thicket that won’t wash away.” She hoped she appeared utterly confident, but the truth was, she had no idea if she was proceeding in the right direction. They showed no signs of leaving, nor staying for that matter.
    â€œWhat else have you planned?”
    â€œNow, just hear me out before you say anything.” Tori leaned in and lowered her voice, as if what she was about to impart would be disturbing. “I was thinking that I could—” She broke off. “Why are you looking at me like that? I haven’t even told you—” The look of horror on Cammy’s face made her freeze. “Something’s directly behind me?”
    Cammy slowly nodded, gasping. Tori spun around, placing Cammy behind her.
    Only to come face-to-face with a thick, black-
mottled snake, so close that her breath fanned it and would have made it blink, if scaly serpents had eyelids.
    When its tongue slid out close enough to touch her cheek, Tori, in turn, piped out her lip to blow a curl from her eyes. “This is the last time, snake. The cave is our dry place, not yours.” She hefted up the weighty boa and began to lug it out into the rain.
    â€œTori?” Cammy said in a squeak. Tori turned, the snake still casually looped over one shoulder. “Do you think you could take it farther away this time, so it won’t slither right back?”
    â€œAll right, but I don’t know where to put…” She trailed off as an idea came to her. Absently patting the snake’s plump torso, she said, “I know just who would appreciate your company.”
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    An hour after dawn the next day, Grant still hadn’t set out, but continued to read, engrossed.
    â€œPut the bloody book down,” Ian hollered from his hammock. As he had for the last two outbursts, Grant ignored him.
    â€¦I’d never been so frightened. Not even the night of the wreck. But we knew the island better and escaped. I’d found a jut of land with hidden accesses, like a lip plateau against the bare rock wall, and took Cammy there. We left our soft sand camp and moved within the roots of the banyan, among the night bats and creatures. I felt safe within the grand old tree, but we were