Read Online SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits by Sheri Whitefeather, Maureen Child, Caridad Piñeiro, Erin Kellison, Erin Quinn, Lisa Kessler, Chris Marie Green, Mary Leo, Cassi Carver, Janet Wellington, Theresa Meyers, Elisabeth Staab - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sheri Whitefeather, Maureen Child, Caridad Piñeiro, Erin Kellison, Erin Quinn, Lisa Kessler, Chris Marie Green, Mary Leo, Cassi Carver, Janet Wellington, Theresa Meyers, Elisabeth Staab
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on top. Spice Girls.
Yearbooks and photo albums lined her bookshelves, along with her favorite stories from kindergarten up. She’d always kept her books and she remembered how much she’d missed them after she’d gone. She’d only been able to take what she could fit in her second-hand Volkswagen when Grandma Beck had shown her the door. Everything else she’d left behind. Until she walked through the door at that moment, she hadn’t realized how much of herself that included.
“I can’t believe she kept all this stuff,” Gracie murmured, entering her past with its bittersweet memories.
Analise gave her a troubled look so filled with questions that Gracie couldn’t quite meet it. Before she could voice any of them, Gracie raised her hand and shook her head.
“I’m too tired to talk about any of this tonight, sweetie. Why don’t you get ready bed and try to sleep. If I know Eddie, he’ll be back with more questions tomorrow. We can talk then, too.”
“We can go see Brendan in the morning, right?”
Gracie nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” Analise gave her a good night hug. “I’m sorry I lied.”
“We’ll deal with that when we’re back home.”
“I know.”
Tinkerbelle and Romeo stayed with Analise in the bedroom. Both dogs would take up their usual posts at the end of her bed. Tinkerbelle would wait until Analise went to sleep, though, before she made the jump from the floor to the mattress. She thought she was sneaky.
Ever faithful, Juliet followed Gracie back downstairs where Eddie and Reilly waited. The house still felt unbelievably hot down here—much warmer than upstairs, though it should have been the opposite. Or maybe it was her anxiety that made it feel so warm. Her grandma was dead. She didn’t even know how she’d died yet.
And Reilly Alexander was back in Diablo Springs.
“Can we try to open some windows?” Gracie asked as she entered the front room.
Reilly had moved to the bar. He stood at the end, arms resting on the battered surface, head bent as he contemplated the wood grain. Gracie wished she could hear his thoughts. She wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation that was certain to come.
“Reilly already tried to get them open,” Eddie told her. “They’re either painted or nailed shut.
“I think all the air is going to the rooms upstairs. It’s cooler there.”
A large, aged photograph hanging on the wall above the fireplace caught her attention. In a bright flash of lightning, it seemed that the eyes of the subjects had shifted. Gracie moved closer and stared at the women gathered at a table that looked just like the ones here now. She hadn’t heard him move, but suddenly Reilly was behind her.
“That one looks like you,” he said in her ear.
Startled, she stumbled back and into the solid wall of his chest. His hands came up to steady her, and the feel of him, the scent of him tumbled Gracie down a long tunnel of memory. He’d always felt so solid to her, someone certain and strong in her teenaged world of chaos. Grandma Beck had never seemed mentally sound. Even as a child, Gracie had understood that a few of her hinges had rusted over. By contrast, Reilly had been constant and reliable.
What a farce.
She turned quickly, stepping away when a traitorous part of her wanted to lean. Eddie was flipping through his notes.
“From what I got earlier,” he said, “your daughter and this Brendan kid arrived just after seven. Mac Conner came out when he saw the sirens and told me he’d seen them drive through town.”
Gracie and Reilly looked up in unison, both with the same bemused expression on their faces.
“I’d forgotten what it’s like to live in a town so small a strange vehicle is noticed,” Reilly said.
Eddie frowned. “We know our neighbors here.”
“No offense intended.”
“Mac said they were speeding,” Eddie said. “That’s why he noticed.”
“I’ve talked to Brendan about driving fast,” Gracie said. “He
Yearbooks and photo albums lined her bookshelves, along with her favorite stories from kindergarten up. She’d always kept her books and she remembered how much she’d missed them after she’d gone. She’d only been able to take what she could fit in her second-hand Volkswagen when Grandma Beck had shown her the door. Everything else she’d left behind. Until she walked through the door at that moment, she hadn’t realized how much of herself that included.
“I can’t believe she kept all this stuff,” Gracie murmured, entering her past with its bittersweet memories.
Analise gave her a troubled look so filled with questions that Gracie couldn’t quite meet it. Before she could voice any of them, Gracie raised her hand and shook her head.
“I’m too tired to talk about any of this tonight, sweetie. Why don’t you get ready bed and try to sleep. If I know Eddie, he’ll be back with more questions tomorrow. We can talk then, too.”
“We can go see Brendan in the morning, right?”
Gracie nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” Analise gave her a good night hug. “I’m sorry I lied.”
“We’ll deal with that when we’re back home.”
“I know.”
Tinkerbelle and Romeo stayed with Analise in the bedroom. Both dogs would take up their usual posts at the end of her bed. Tinkerbelle would wait until Analise went to sleep, though, before she made the jump from the floor to the mattress. She thought she was sneaky.
Ever faithful, Juliet followed Gracie back downstairs where Eddie and Reilly waited. The house still felt unbelievably hot down here—much warmer than upstairs, though it should have been the opposite. Or maybe it was her anxiety that made it feel so warm. Her grandma was dead. She didn’t even know how she’d died yet.
And Reilly Alexander was back in Diablo Springs.
“Can we try to open some windows?” Gracie asked as she entered the front room.
Reilly had moved to the bar. He stood at the end, arms resting on the battered surface, head bent as he contemplated the wood grain. Gracie wished she could hear his thoughts. She wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation that was certain to come.
“Reilly already tried to get them open,” Eddie told her. “They’re either painted or nailed shut.
“I think all the air is going to the rooms upstairs. It’s cooler there.”
A large, aged photograph hanging on the wall above the fireplace caught her attention. In a bright flash of lightning, it seemed that the eyes of the subjects had shifted. Gracie moved closer and stared at the women gathered at a table that looked just like the ones here now. She hadn’t heard him move, but suddenly Reilly was behind her.
“That one looks like you,” he said in her ear.
Startled, she stumbled back and into the solid wall of his chest. His hands came up to steady her, and the feel of him, the scent of him tumbled Gracie down a long tunnel of memory. He’d always felt so solid to her, someone certain and strong in her teenaged world of chaos. Grandma Beck had never seemed mentally sound. Even as a child, Gracie had understood that a few of her hinges had rusted over. By contrast, Reilly had been constant and reliable.
What a farce.
She turned quickly, stepping away when a traitorous part of her wanted to lean. Eddie was flipping through his notes.
“From what I got earlier,” he said, “your daughter and this Brendan kid arrived just after seven. Mac Conner came out when he saw the sirens and told me he’d seen them drive through town.”
Gracie and Reilly looked up in unison, both with the same bemused expression on their faces.
“I’d forgotten what it’s like to live in a town so small a strange vehicle is noticed,” Reilly said.
Eddie frowned. “We know our neighbors here.”
“No offense intended.”
“Mac said they were speeding,” Eddie said. “That’s why he noticed.”
“I’ve talked to Brendan about driving fast,” Gracie said. “He
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