Read Online Cold as Ice by Jody Morse, Jayme Morse - Free Book Online Page A

was it that she had noticed the potion was gone the night after Rhonda had been in their dorm room?
    “Well, what did you guys do? Was she anywhere near the desk?” Austin pressed.
    Anna nodded. “Yes, she was standing next to the desk.”
    “And you just let her take the potion?” Austin asked, his reddish eyebrows raised.
    “Austin, I think she might have used mind control on me,” Anna told him. “The last thing I remember is agreeing to let her hang out with us, even though I didn’t really want her to. My memory goes kind of blank after that.”
    “Mind control?” Lexi questioned.
    “It’s one of the most powerful abilities a vampire can have,” Anna explained to her. “I’m pretty sure that Rhonda uses it. She controls peoples’ minds to make them do things she wants them to do. I bet that’s why I don’t remember anything—and why your potion disappeared, just like I don’t remember her even leaving our room last night.”
    Lexi just gaped at her. “Why didn’t you tell me about this mind control stuff?”
    Anna shrugged, and her lip quivered, as though she was about to cry. “I-I didn’t think she would be able to do it to us. The thing is . . . most vampires who use mind control use it on the vampire who changed them. They tend to do it in retaliation—it’s like their way of saying, ‘you changed me, so now I’m going to control you.’ It’s rare for a vampire to be able to use mind control on anyone they choose to.”
    “Well, you know what we need to do now then, don’t you?” Austin asked.
    Anna nodded. “Yeah, we might as well get this over with.” She opened the door to their dorm room and strolled out into the hallway. Lexi followed close behind her and Austin, feeling dazed. She couldn’t believe that this was really happening, that the potion was gone, and that of all people, Rhonda might have it.
    Once they were at the door to Rhonda’s room, Anna knocked on it loudly.
    The door was swung open, and Rhonda stared back at them, a smile on her glossy red lips. “May I help you?”
    “Give us back the p otion,” Austin demanded. “Now.”
    “Potion? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rhonda said innocently, and Lexi gritted her teeth. It was obvious that Gabe’s offspring did know what they were talking about.
    “Stop pretending, Rhonda. It isn’t cute. I want my potion back. Now,” Lexi demanded.
    Rhonda only shrugged her shoulders this time. “You’re more tha n welcome to search through my room if you don’t believe me, but I don’t have your potion.”
    “Okay, do you want to stay in here while we search , or do you want to step outside ?” Anna asked, pushing the door open further so that she could step inside. “Because we’re not going to leave until we’re positive that you’re not hoarding it in here somewhere.”
    “Be my guest,” Rhonda said, sitting down on her bed and smoothing out the silky lavender comforter. Crossing her legs, she leaned back on her arms, staring at them pointedly, daring them to search through her things.
    Lexi began searching through the dresser drawers. She tried to ignore all of the sexy lingerie—mostly lacy bras and G-string underwear—that she found inside before moving to the bookcase. Neither of the two revealed anything.
    When she glanced up, she noticed that Rhonda was glaring at her. “Are you done looking? I really need to get some beauty sleep, a nd that’s difficult to do with a search team in my room,” she said sarcastically.
    Turning to Austin and Anna, Lexi asked, “Did either of you find anything?”
    Anna shoved something back under the bed and shook her head reluctantly. “No, I don’t see it anywhere.”
    “Me either,” Austin agreed, plucking an empty soda can off the floor and stuffing it back into the trashcan.
    Lexi turned to Rhonda, who glared at her. “If I ever find out that you are the one with the potion, I’m going to make you regret it.”
    Rhonda’s lips twisted