Chained: Reckless Desires (Dragon's Heart Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

singe her fingers and set her alight, consume her completely and leave nothing but a bag of dirty laundry and a pair of old sneakers. Was that what happened to Lord Winterborn? Had he touched the stars on this old mountaintop?
    Nothing else was visible in the night. There could have been a precipice ten feet away and she wouldn’t have known. The city was never so dark. San Francisco may not have been “the city that never sleeps,” but it was definitely the city that never turned off its lights or stopped shouting outside your window. She only knew where the house was because it was a deeper black than the rest of the night, and because she’d seen it briefly illuminated by the headlights as they’d pulled in.
    The Winterborn estate was quiet but for the distant crashing of waves. There weren’t even any wildlife noises. There was a sort of crunch crunch noise. Bella wondered what it was. It almost sounded like someone walking on gravel.
    The noise grew louder, and closer. What if it was a bear? A mountain lion? A security guard? She moved closer to the residence and with slow careful steps she curled herself down into the house’s shadow.
    “Franklin,” a voice called out. “What’s going on? Why the late night drive?” The voice belonged to a man in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. The accent was American, but had the pronunciation of someone who’d attended posh schools. So, the heir then.
    “Lord Winterborn,” her father said. “Pardon the interruption, I had to make a grocery run. Only we’ve run out of milk, you see.”
    “Groceries? At this hour?” There was doubt in the heir’s voice.
    Bella heard the soft sigh of the Lincoln’s trunk opening and then the rustle of grocery bags. “One finds time when one can, sir.” And then, after a pause, “Why are you wandering about at this hour, sir?”
    The heir’s voice changed in an instant. “Are you questioning me, Franklin? Who are you to tell me where and when I can wander!” He went from polite conversation to roaring his displeasure. Bella couldn’t see him, not even his silhouette, but in her mind’s eye she saw his face contorted with rage, spit flying from his mouth.
    The man was a monster. A psychopath. How could her father work for such a beast?
    “No Lord Winterborn, not questioning,” her father soothed. “I am just wondering if I might be of service? If there is anything you require?”
    “There is but—no, never mind—there’s an object I’m seeking. It has great personal value, but no real material worth. What’s the phrase? Sentimental value, that’s what it has. My experts have been unable to locate it, but one of them told me to check the grounds tonight. She said I might find it. Weird, huh? Why would I need to look at night? I can’t even see at night and the expert told me absolutely not to bring a flashlight. But it’s too late to bother you with this. You should go to bed, Franklin. I should go to bed.” He spoke like a reasonable person again. The change was extraordinary. If Bella hadn’t known better, she would have sworn there were two of him, one pleasant in a dull sort of way and the other a raging lunatic.
    “Good night, sir,” her father said.
    “Can I help you with the groceries?” Dorian Winterborn asked. “When I was a kid, I had a contest with my mom—sort of a running joke—to see if could carry the whole carload in at once. I bet I could break my old record now.”
    “Please don’t concern yourself, sir. I can manage quite well.”
    Bella felt behind herself along the wall. She had a bad feeling about this. She was in front of the door. If Winterborn carried the bags in, he’d step right on her. Around her was only gravel. If she moved he’d hear her like a match striking. She’d be found out, her father would be furious, and the heir would hurl both of them into the sea. Well, probably not. But certainly he’d flip out and Bella did not want to see his temper up close.