Read Online Number of the Beast (Paladin Cycle, Book One) by Lita Stone - Free Book Online

woman nodded and let her hand fall
to the side. Her gaze drifted past him and found Ira. Naked.
Smiling. Recently fucked.
    The human’s complexion
flushed red. She played with the hem of her white shorts, diverting
her attention back to him. “Just stopped by to welcome you and your
wife to the neighborhood.”
    Isaac said, “Ira is my
oath bound servant.”
    Waverly grimaced. “I see.
Yes, well, I’m not one to judge. This is a friendly community and
we welcome all kinds and accept all lifestyles.”
    Isaac waited.
    She shuffled her feet and
fidgeted with her bare arm. “I hate to trouble you any more than I
already have, but have you seen my little girl? Her name’s
Madeline.”
    A low growl vibrated in
his throat. “No.”
    “ Well, if you see her will
you please tell her to hurry home? She’s got black hair, blue
eyes—”
    Isaac slammed the door.
    With a crooked finger, he
motioned Ira closer. When she neared, he slipped his finger under
her chin, lifting her head. He looked into her pale face. “You have
done well.”
    Ira smiled. It was the
same sincere gesture she had always given after receiving praise.
His attention returned to the child on the cart. “Take it to Sacred
Oaks and release it so that I may hunt it.”
    “ As you command, Master
Isaac.”

Chapter Eleven
    The Rising Bull was a square warehouse
of a building nestled right off the highway. A wooden corral
surrounded the side and a large gateway led to the parking lot.
Mounted above the gateway was a big red longhorn skull with heavy
duty chains wrapped around the horns. One eye socket was a bright
yellow bulb and the other remained hollow. Sick’em, the Rising
Bull’s mascot, glowed against the darkened sky, enchanting all who
met his gaze. And Carmen was bewitched every time she saw
him.
    The place was slap full,
so Carmen parked in the back. She patted Amy on the knee and said,
“Time to cut loose.” Without waiting for a response, she stepped
from the car and shimmied her short black dress down her thighs.
Cowgirl hat straightened, she cupped her breasts, giving the girls
a quick lift. And for the final primp, she ran her fingers through
her black hair and fluffed.
    As Amy rounded the front of the car,
Carmen entwined her arm with Amy’s. She just needed to get a few
drinks in the girl and maybe Amy’s bad day would be a distant
memory. Arm-in-arm, they headed toward the bar’s
entrance.
    “ Get ready to put yourself
two sheets to the wind and drink your worries away,” Carmen
said.
    With a small smile, Amy
nodded.
    Carmen stopped and twirled
Amy to face her. She stomped her heel on the gravel lot.
    Amy shrugged.
“What?”
    “ You better not let that
damn rat ruin the whole night.”
    “ I’ve been
thinking…”
    Carmen pointed a red
fingernail at the building where a caricature of Sick’em was
painted on the side. A silver horseshoe hung from its nostrils and
ammo belts wrapped around its horns. “This is a bar,” she said in a
mother-to-child tone. “No thinking allowed.”
    “ But maybe that week I had
all those terrible nightmares, maybe it didn’t have anything to do
with the dead rat I had found back then.”
    “ Brilliant revelation. Now
let’s go.” Carmen’s heels clicked as she strutted toward the bar’s
front door.
    Amy caught up to her.
“Maybe the rat from today won’t haunt my dreams. Could be last time
I was fighting off a cold or something?”
    “ Exactly.” Carmen tugged
Amy’s arm once more. “Cold meds can give you some trippy
dreams.”
    Carmen spotted Derrick standing at the
entrance. She let go of Amy’s arm.
    But damn, he looked good. He wore a
black muscle shirt with tight black jeans that showed his lean but
muscular legs, and those rugged steel toe work boots.
    Derrick was heavy into
conversation, his hands animate. Last time she’d seen him, a week
and two days ago, he’d gone home with Miss Suzy Slutbags from
Whorelane. Long legs. Blonde hair. Big breasts. How