Read Online In Memories We Fear by Barb Hendee - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barb Hendee
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home. He’d told this girl he was lonely . . . and he was. But he cared for the company of only one person, a ghost named Mary, and Julian kept her busy in Portland most of the time.
Maybe she could find a way to see him again soon.
Mary materialized inside Jasper’s apartment at the Infinity complex, happier than she’d been for a while—grateful Eleisha was following a lead. A new mission for Eleisha meant a mission for Julian . . . and that meant Mary and Jasper would work together.
“Jasper, you here?” she called.
But even before speaking, she knew he must have gone out. She couldn’t sense him anywhere.
Floating just inside the front door, she looked around. The place was amazing, with marble-tiled floors and a state-of-the art kitchen of stainless steel appliances. One wall of the living room was a giant window overlooking the bay. The whole room was decorated in black and white.
She noticed a few additions, such as a large-screen TV and a silver DVD rack.
Julian paid for everything here via an account he’d opened for Jasper with Wells Fargo. The whole situation made Mary uncomfortable—as if Julian had sort of “bought” Jasper—but there wasn’t much she could say.
Turning, she could sense an undead presence coming down the hallway, and she floated farther into the room. After a loud click, the door opened and he walked inside.
“Mary,” he said, smiling slightly, glad to see her.
He was the only one who was ever glad to see her.
But he looked so different now.
When she’d found him, he’d been a shabby, skinny mess, wearing dirty pants and scuffed athletic shoes. His hair had been a disaster. He’d always slouched back then, with his shoulders pressing inward.
Then Julian turned him.
Some expensive local stylist had taken in the shape of Jasper’s face and cut his hair very short, almost into a military cut. The look suited Jasper, defining the bones of his face. Tonight, he wore a loose, button-down black shirt over black jeans. He walked straight, his shoulders back.
Jasper liked his new existence, maybe a little too much, and he’d proven he’d do anything to keep it. Mary had to look out for him, to protect him from himself sometimes.
“I was just thinking about you,” he said.
“You were?”
The smallest things like that affected her. He made her wish she were still alive.
“Yeah, I was. . . .” He paused. “Hey, why are you . . . ? Are we on the job?”
She nodded. “He’s going to England. We’re supposed to meet him at the Great Fosters hotel on Stroude Road in Surrey.”
God, what a mouthful.
“You’re supposed to fly into Heathrow,” she added. “Then take a taxi to the hotel.”
Jasper blinked and walked into his bedroom. Mary floated after to see him digging through his dresser drawers. “London?” he said with some hesitation. “I got myself a passport a couple of months ago, after he told me to . . . but did you see where I put it?”
“Um, yeah, I think I saw it with your emergency credit card.”
He looked at her briefly and moved to the nightstand, opening a small drawer. His face relaxed. “Here it is. Thanks.”
Jasper knew how to handle everything else, and he grabbed a box out of the closet to package his sword. “What’s the job?”
“I don’t know yet. Seamus found somebody over there. Julian’s hoping for an elder, but I haven’t learned too much. The vampire’s a guy . . . kind of crazy, and he’s been attacking people out in the open enough to make the newspapers. Oh, and he can make animals, like dogs and cats, protect him.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, should be interesting.”
While Jasper continued packing, Mary floated over to look into a mirror hanging on his bedroom wall. She put a transparent hand to the top of her head, wanting to grimace.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
No matter what he was doing, he always noticed her. He always put her first.
How could she tell him what she was thinking?
“My
Maybe she could find a way to see him again soon.
Mary materialized inside Jasper’s apartment at the Infinity complex, happier than she’d been for a while—grateful Eleisha was following a lead. A new mission for Eleisha meant a mission for Julian . . . and that meant Mary and Jasper would work together.
“Jasper, you here?” she called.
But even before speaking, she knew he must have gone out. She couldn’t sense him anywhere.
Floating just inside the front door, she looked around. The place was amazing, with marble-tiled floors and a state-of-the art kitchen of stainless steel appliances. One wall of the living room was a giant window overlooking the bay. The whole room was decorated in black and white.
She noticed a few additions, such as a large-screen TV and a silver DVD rack.
Julian paid for everything here via an account he’d opened for Jasper with Wells Fargo. The whole situation made Mary uncomfortable—as if Julian had sort of “bought” Jasper—but there wasn’t much she could say.
Turning, she could sense an undead presence coming down the hallway, and she floated farther into the room. After a loud click, the door opened and he walked inside.
“Mary,” he said, smiling slightly, glad to see her.
He was the only one who was ever glad to see her.
But he looked so different now.
When she’d found him, he’d been a shabby, skinny mess, wearing dirty pants and scuffed athletic shoes. His hair had been a disaster. He’d always slouched back then, with his shoulders pressing inward.
Then Julian turned him.
Some expensive local stylist had taken in the shape of Jasper’s face and cut his hair very short, almost into a military cut. The look suited Jasper, defining the bones of his face. Tonight, he wore a loose, button-down black shirt over black jeans. He walked straight, his shoulders back.
Jasper liked his new existence, maybe a little too much, and he’d proven he’d do anything to keep it. Mary had to look out for him, to protect him from himself sometimes.
“I was just thinking about you,” he said.
“You were?”
The smallest things like that affected her. He made her wish she were still alive.
“Yeah, I was. . . .” He paused. “Hey, why are you . . . ? Are we on the job?”
She nodded. “He’s going to England. We’re supposed to meet him at the Great Fosters hotel on Stroude Road in Surrey.”
God, what a mouthful.
“You’re supposed to fly into Heathrow,” she added. “Then take a taxi to the hotel.”
Jasper blinked and walked into his bedroom. Mary floated after to see him digging through his dresser drawers. “London?” he said with some hesitation. “I got myself a passport a couple of months ago, after he told me to . . . but did you see where I put it?”
“Um, yeah, I think I saw it with your emergency credit card.”
He looked at her briefly and moved to the nightstand, opening a small drawer. His face relaxed. “Here it is. Thanks.”
Jasper knew how to handle everything else, and he grabbed a box out of the closet to package his sword. “What’s the job?”
“I don’t know yet. Seamus found somebody over there. Julian’s hoping for an elder, but I haven’t learned too much. The vampire’s a guy . . . kind of crazy, and he’s been attacking people out in the open enough to make the newspapers. Oh, and he can make animals, like dogs and cats, protect him.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, should be interesting.”
While Jasper continued packing, Mary floated over to look into a mirror hanging on his bedroom wall. She put a transparent hand to the top of her head, wanting to grimace.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
No matter what he was doing, he always noticed her. He always put her first.
How could she tell him what she was thinking?
“My
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