Read Online Twisted by Gena Showalter - Free Book Online

be back. All of them.
    â€œSo what do you come here every day to read about, huh?” Tucker asked, changing the subject. To give her time to calm down? To distract her? “Tell me, and maybe I can help. More, that is. Help more .”
    Subtle. “It involves Aden, and secrets he’s shared with me. And I am not sharing those secrets with you.”
    A moment passed in silence. Then, “Secrets, secrets, let’s see. There are so many to choose from, I don’t know where to start.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œVlad had me research Aden before I stabbed him, and guess what? You’re not the only one who’s good at researching.”
    Heart thundering with a storm of dread, she whipped upright. “What did you learn?” Aden did not like anyone knowing about him. He was embarrassed, but also cautious. If the wrong person found out about him—andactually believed the truth—he could be used, tested, locked away, killed. Take your pick.
    Tucker held up one hand and began ticking off items like he was reading from a list. “He has three souls trapped inside his head. He used to have four, and one of them was your mother—your real mother, not the aunt who raised you as if you were hers—but Eve’s gone now. What else? Oh, yeah. He’s now king of the vampires. Until Vlad decides to step in and take the crown back.”
    Right on all counts. Her mouth went dry, and she croaked out, “How did you learn all that?”
    â€œHoney, I can listen to any conversation, anytime, and no one ever knows I’m there. And I listened to a lot of yours.”
    â€œYou spied on me.”
    â€œIsn’t that what I just said?”
    How many times? What all had he seen? She popped her jaw. Perhaps, if she was never able to drain him, she’d just stab him the same way he’d stabbed Aden. “What makes you think Vlad will succeed?”
    Gray eyes went flat. “Please. As if there can be any other outcome. I researched Vlad, too, and he is a warrior who has won countless battles and survived for thousands of years. He’s flat-out mean, underhanded and has no concept of honor. What is Aden? Nothing but a bag of meat to a guy like Vlad. Why? Because Aden willwant to fight fair and will actually care about collateral damage, both of which will handicap him.”
    Phrased like that, there was no denying the truth. She needed all the help she could get for her original mission. Even from someone like Tucker.
    Mary Ann fell back into her chair, closed her eyes for a moment and breathed. Just breathed. In and out, trying to relax, to come to grips with what she was about to do. If Tucker betrayed her, she would have done more harm than good to her friend. If he didn’t, well, he could actually help keep Aden alive.
    So. No contest. She had to do this.
    â€œOkay,” she said, meeting his gaze dead-on. “Here it is, the whole story, the unvarnished truth.”
    He rubbed his hands together with glee.
    That didn’t comfort her and, in fact, intensified her tension. But she said, “A few weeks ago, Riley and Victoria gave Aden and me a list. Because, on December twelfth, seventeen years ago—”
    â€œWait. December twelfth, your birthday?”
    She blinked in surprise. He remembered. How had he remembered? “Yes. Anyway, fifty-three people died in the same hospital where Aden and I were born. St. Mary’s.” At his look of confusion, she added, “Did I forget to mention Aden and I share a birthday?”
    â€œYes, but I already knew.”
    â€œ Anyway. A lot of those people died because of a bus accident. My mom died giving birth to me.” Her mom had been like Aden, a force of nature, able to do things “normal” people couldn’t, and infant Mary Ann had drained her dry. Don’t think about that, either, or you’ll, what? Cry. “Somewhere on that list are the three other