Read Online Beautiful Monster: The Hunt (Book 2) by Jeanne Bannon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeanne Bannon
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around the girl.
“When Jack come?” ZoZo asked excitedly.
“Soon child.” Alina wondered just why the girl loved him so much. ZoZo had never taken to anyone like she had Jack. Was it his boyish good looks? Did her little Zo have a crush? Or was it something more? Jack had a way about him that she had to admit was endearing, charming even. And he especially seemed to be good with children, a skill Alina lacked. Even when mortal, she had no maternal instinct. Her own mother had been cruel and harsh, wearing a skin as leathery and thick as a crocodile’s, over her icy interior. Alina hadn’t ever been able to penetrate that skin to know the woman beneath. Perhaps, she thought, that was the reason she was the way she was, incapable of true love and empathy; that and of course, being a creature of the night slew all human emotion.
“Jack!” ZoZo called, sliding from Alina’s lap and running awkwardly toward him.
He ran too, toward her, holding out his arms for the girl to jump into.
“How’s my girl?” Jack asked hugging ZoZo.
The girl hugged him back and wrapped her stubby legs around him as best she could. “I good, Jack. I good.”
“Well?” Alina asked impatiently.
“Why couldn’t you greet me like ZoZo just did?” Jack said with a shake of his head. “I know which one of you loves me!”
“Me! Me love Jack!” ZoZo exclaimed and planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
“Love you too, squirt,” Jack said setting ZoZo atop the wall where Alina sat.
“Enough dicking around, Jack. Tell me about Boris?”
Jack wagged a finger and gave Alina a crooked smile. “Not until you kiss me first.”
Alina walked toward him, her glare made the smile slid from his lips. “What did you find out?”
“Okay, okay. Calm yourself. I watched him, followed him until I figured that spell of yours had worn off. He was up to his usual tricks. You know, randomly swooping down on unsuspecting folks and murdering them.”
“You’ve been doing this for a few nights now, is there a pattern? Think Jack! Does he have a routine?”
Jack held up a hand, his expression darkening. “Why can’t you give me a little credit? Or respect for that matter?” He sat beside ZoZo with a huff.
Alina threw her hands up in disgust. “Are you going to tell me or do I have to beat the words out of you?”
“There does seem to be a pattern. He never wanders too far from home. He always leaves at the same time. So far, I’ve watched him go to three different locations but they’re all within minutes of each other. Makes you wonder about the dumb ass cops. You’d think they’d have more patrols out waiting and watching—”
“Are you forgetting who we’re dealing with? Boris can control them. He can control everything and if some cop did approach him, he’d be Boris’s dinner.”
“Yeah, okay, I get it. Anyway, there you have it. He’s a creature of habit. Or, maybe he’s just lazy and like you said, since he can control things, he doesn’t feel the need to wander far from home.”
Alina smiled. “Good job. Now it’s time to implement the second part of the plan.”
Jack swallowed. “Shit.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jack pounded his forehead with the palm of his hand. “I’m sorry. Say it again,” he said to Alina, who sat on the side of Jack’s raft/bed with the Book of Spells open on her knee.
“Try it phonetically. Maybe it will help if you look at it for yourself. Read it over and over again and then I’ll test you on it.”
“Okay. I think it’s because I’m nervous as hell. What if I mess up?”
“You won’t. I have faith in you,” she cooed.
He gave her a knowing grin. “You can’t shit me. I’m your only hope. You need me.”
She laughed but it was without humor. “It’s true, I do need you. Actually, my life depends on you getting this right and of course, Zo’s life does too.” She nodded toward the bathroom where the imp was tucked into her bathtub bed.
Jack’s gaze fell to his
“When Jack come?” ZoZo asked excitedly.
“Soon child.” Alina wondered just why the girl loved him so much. ZoZo had never taken to anyone like she had Jack. Was it his boyish good looks? Did her little Zo have a crush? Or was it something more? Jack had a way about him that she had to admit was endearing, charming even. And he especially seemed to be good with children, a skill Alina lacked. Even when mortal, she had no maternal instinct. Her own mother had been cruel and harsh, wearing a skin as leathery and thick as a crocodile’s, over her icy interior. Alina hadn’t ever been able to penetrate that skin to know the woman beneath. Perhaps, she thought, that was the reason she was the way she was, incapable of true love and empathy; that and of course, being a creature of the night slew all human emotion.
“Jack!” ZoZo called, sliding from Alina’s lap and running awkwardly toward him.
He ran too, toward her, holding out his arms for the girl to jump into.
“How’s my girl?” Jack asked hugging ZoZo.
The girl hugged him back and wrapped her stubby legs around him as best she could. “I good, Jack. I good.”
“Well?” Alina asked impatiently.
“Why couldn’t you greet me like ZoZo just did?” Jack said with a shake of his head. “I know which one of you loves me!”
“Me! Me love Jack!” ZoZo exclaimed and planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
“Love you too, squirt,” Jack said setting ZoZo atop the wall where Alina sat.
“Enough dicking around, Jack. Tell me about Boris?”
Jack wagged a finger and gave Alina a crooked smile. “Not until you kiss me first.”
Alina walked toward him, her glare made the smile slid from his lips. “What did you find out?”
“Okay, okay. Calm yourself. I watched him, followed him until I figured that spell of yours had worn off. He was up to his usual tricks. You know, randomly swooping down on unsuspecting folks and murdering them.”
“You’ve been doing this for a few nights now, is there a pattern? Think Jack! Does he have a routine?”
Jack held up a hand, his expression darkening. “Why can’t you give me a little credit? Or respect for that matter?” He sat beside ZoZo with a huff.
Alina threw her hands up in disgust. “Are you going to tell me or do I have to beat the words out of you?”
“There does seem to be a pattern. He never wanders too far from home. He always leaves at the same time. So far, I’ve watched him go to three different locations but they’re all within minutes of each other. Makes you wonder about the dumb ass cops. You’d think they’d have more patrols out waiting and watching—”
“Are you forgetting who we’re dealing with? Boris can control them. He can control everything and if some cop did approach him, he’d be Boris’s dinner.”
“Yeah, okay, I get it. Anyway, there you have it. He’s a creature of habit. Or, maybe he’s just lazy and like you said, since he can control things, he doesn’t feel the need to wander far from home.”
Alina smiled. “Good job. Now it’s time to implement the second part of the plan.”
Jack swallowed. “Shit.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jack pounded his forehead with the palm of his hand. “I’m sorry. Say it again,” he said to Alina, who sat on the side of Jack’s raft/bed with the Book of Spells open on her knee.
“Try it phonetically. Maybe it will help if you look at it for yourself. Read it over and over again and then I’ll test you on it.”
“Okay. I think it’s because I’m nervous as hell. What if I mess up?”
“You won’t. I have faith in you,” she cooed.
He gave her a knowing grin. “You can’t shit me. I’m your only hope. You need me.”
She laughed but it was without humor. “It’s true, I do need you. Actually, my life depends on you getting this right and of course, Zo’s life does too.” She nodded toward the bathroom where the imp was tucked into her bathtub bed.
Jack’s gaze fell to his
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