Blood Secret Read Free Page A

Good for her.
    â€˜Happy birthday!’ Rennie waited until she was wrapped up in Trish’s arms. ‘Sorry we’re late.’
    â€˜No timesheets tonight, sweetie. And Eliza’s here, already working off her birthday present.’ When Trish and Pav had been going over the guest list, worried about the cost and trying to rationalise that they didn’t need so many people to celebrate her fiftieth, the staff had announced their joint gift. They were donating a few hours each to help in the kitchen and front of house so all that Trish and Pav had to cover was the food. Trish had shed a few tears. She’d probably shed a few more by the end of the night, Rennie guessed. But for the moment, she stretched her neck up to receive a kiss on the cheek from Max, then raised suggestive eyebrows at them both. ‘I hope it was something fun that held you up.’
    Rennie exchanged a brief, deadpan glance with Max. It started out that way a couple of hours ago. ‘Not exactly.’
    â€˜A kid just tried to run us down in the car park,’ Max said.
    â€˜Oh my God. Are you okay?’
    â€˜Just shaken up,’ Rennie told her, answering the question in Max’s eyes at the same time. She figured that was how she looked.
    â€˜Well, come and get a drink and forget about it. You’re having a good time tonight. On me.’
    Trish was already having a good time, apparently. She took Rennie’s hand, did a little sashay as she swung under it then led her towards the counter, where several bottles of bubbly were sitting in ice buckets. ‘Help yourselves, lovelies.’
    â€˜Lovelies?’ Rennie chuckled.
    â€˜You won’t live that one down in the morning,’ Max said.
    â€˜It’s my party and I’ll lovely if I want to,’ Trish sang, waltzing off to someone new.
    As Max poured, Rennie scanned the crowd. Lots of familiar faces. Customers, friends. Trish and Pav didn’t differentiate much.
    Max held a flute out to her. ‘Here, have a drink.’ He said it like it’d have to do until he could find her a sedative.
    â€˜I’m fine,’ she snapped. He thought the kid in the 4x4 had scared her. She had been scared but not for the reason he thought. In that moment in the driveway, with the car idling at their calves, the ghost of her past had walked right through her. Five seconds of heart-pounding dread and urgent, fast-tracked decision-making – then it was over and she was telling herself it wasn’t time and this was Haven Bay and when had she got so slow? And now, fifteen minutes later, the trail of anger and recrimination that had followed was still working its way through her system. It was everything and nothing to do with Max but she was mad and he was treating her like she might faint.
    She took the champagne from him, sipping as though she needed nothing more than a taste, and looked for Pav’s head – big and bald on top of pick handle shoulders. He was always easy to find but he wasn’t out there and she felt a twinge of guilt. ‘I’m going to help Pav in the kitchen.’
    â€˜I’m going to check the car,’ Max said.
    â€˜What?’ Rennie grabbed his elbow as he turned to go. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. That kid’s probably still out there.’
    â€˜Yeah and he might do a job on the car. You heard what he said.’
    â€˜You’ve got insurance. Better the car than you.’
    â€˜Bloody smart-arse kid. He deserves . . .’
    â€˜Don’t be an idiot, Max.’ It was intended for Max’s ears only but at the other end of the counter, Trish glanced over with a grin. It fell when she caught sight of Rennie’s face.
    For a moment, Max did nothing but look affronted. ‘What, Rennie? Is it what just happened or what happened before?’
    The ‘before’ had made her wonder if he’d been a participant in any previous conversation or whether