Read Connected (Twists of Fate #1) for Free Online

way inside. He had it coming, she didn’t doubt that; she was sick of him barking orders at her. Though she probably should’ve bitten back with less venom, especially since he had no idea of the nerve he hit upon with his
    ‘precious life’ comment. But the anger, still a swirling mass inside her chest, wouldn’t let her blow it off so easily.
    Do you forgive me, Addison?
    “Does it really matter? I'm helping you regardless so just tell me what you need from me and let’s just do this.”
    Yeah, Addison. It does matter. You're…you're all I've got, and I lashed out at you because of it—in spite of it—and I’m sorry.
    Again, she didn't respond as she turned on all the lights and settled into her office space.
    I know you can sense how bad I feel. Cut a dead guy a break, huh? His tone was light, teasing, and then he flashed an image into her head: Rhys on his knees pleading, strong hands clasped in front of him.

    She couldn't help the smile.
    Thata girl. Now tell Rhys you forgive him. His voice turned back to the usual cocky tone.
    “Ugh. You are such a—”
    Now. Now. You know I don't have it in me to be a nice guy, so this is what you get.
    She actually knew that wasn’t the case. A complete asshat wouldn’t care about her surgery, or sing her to sleep at night. But she also knew pointing it out would be another argument guaranteed to rage out of control.
    “I forgive you.”
    Thank you, Addison.
    She felt a wave of warmth rush over her. “What was that?” A mental hug. Copped a feel too, but you probably didn't feel that part, huh?
    She grinned, laughed a little.
    That’s better. Truce?
    She felt a nudge against their barrier, and she correlated it to getting a light punch in the shoulder. That was sooo like a man.
    What do you say? Friends?
    “Yeah, Rhys. Friends.”
    Great. Now that we’ve got that settled…
    “I’m on it. Computer’s booting up now.” He had a one track mind. One. Track. Mind.
    As she began their usual search, she unwrapped her sandwich and dug in. Holding her food with one hand, she navigated the various links with the other. “Nothing new so far.” Did you check Xavier’s Twitter account yet?
    “I didn’t get that far. Hold on a minute.” She typed in the address and hit enter. The screen got stuck during loading, so she refreshed it as she shook out her carton of fries. “I’m blocked from it. Only people he knows can see it.”
    Paranoid sonofabitch. Shit. How about Facebook? Not his personal account, but the fan page.
    “Do you know the address?”
    Not offhand.
    “All right. Let me do a page search.” As Addison poked around Facebook, she accidentally hit her bag with an elbow, knocking it over and spilling foil packets of ketchup across the floor.

    The label of one caught her attention as she shoved them in her garbage can, and it triggered a stray thought that rivaled one of Rhys’. “What makes ketchup fancy?” What are you talking about, woman?
    “Fancy ketchup,” she explained, glancing at the discarded packets. “What makes it fancy?
    Better yet, what would unfancy ketchup taste like?”
    He paused a beat. Are you eating?
    “Yeah.” She gestured with one hand, as if to say ‘duh’, while she clicked on the Facebook fan page for Black Codex.
    What are you eating?
    It was an innocent question, but the way he asked was sooo intense; like she was a covert operative he was asking to betray her government. “Ah…roast beef and fries.” Her answer felt anticlimactic, but his response relayed anything but.
    He groaned, a deep guttural sound she felt all the way to her toes. Thank God he was blissfully unaware, totally distracted by the images of food he was shifting through her mind. Oh man, I miss food , he moaned.
    She gulped. “Big eater, were you?”
    How does it taste? Is it good? I bet it’s good.
    “It’s okay.” She considered what was left of her sandwich. Could she…? She took a bite and as she chewed, focusing every sensation into