there.”
“Meet you? I’m coming with you now. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Aren’t you forgetting about your friend? You’re just going to disappear on him?”
Jaxon. Shit.
“Right.” She shoved her hands through her hair. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Lifting her head to stare directly into his face, she said, “Don’t screw me over. You’d better be there.”
His eyes glinted with amusement. “I wouldn’t dream of screwing you over.”
Audra held his gaze, trying to decide if she were missing a sexual subtext. Who knew with supernatural beings?
She gave a quick nod and backed away, keeping him in sight for a few moments before turning and hurrying back to the food court.
Would Jaxon still be there? Would he wonder what had happened to her? Was that poor man dead?
Paramedics were lifting the victim onto the stretcher when Audra pushed her way through the crowd to the scene.
She found Jaxon standing next to the man, overseeing his care.
“Hey, is he okay?” she asked quietly.
He gave an almost imperceptible head shake. “I’m going with him in the ambulance.” He fished his keys out of his pocket. “You take my car. Okay?”
“Sure.”
“Sorry about the pretzel.”
She smiled. “You’ll do anything to get out of treating me, won’t you?”
He reached out and tugged a lock of her hair. “You know me too well.”
Impulsively, she gave him a quick hug. “I’ll see you soon. Call me when you’re done and I’ll come get you.”
He nodded. The stretcher was now moving quickly toward an emergency exit, and Jaxon followed.
Audra turned and went back the way she’d come. Her heart raced in fear and anticipation. Was she really on her way to meet some kind of supernatural being? Some creature whose existence she could neither confirm nor explain? She would soon get the answers she needed. Would those answers ease her anxiety, or send her spiraling into insanity and terror?
Chapter 5
He was there. Waiting where he said he’d be, leaning against the wall, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. A light above the emergency door illuminated the alcove, allowing Audra to make out his features clearly. His crystal blue eyes glittered as he watched her approach. He didn’t speak when she reached him.
“Okay,” she said breathlessly, staring up into his face. “Tell me who you are and what the hell has been going on since the night of my accident.” Blood pounded through her veins, rushing loudly in her ears as she waited for his reply.
He chuckled, taking his hands from his pockets and straightening.
A flash of anger shot through her. “What’s so damned funny?” she demanded.
“Nothing. It’s just that, this hasn’t been going on ‘since the night of your accident.’ It’s been happening since the beginning of time.”
She threw her arms in the air and let them drop to her sides. “Great. All the shit I’ve been through and I get riddles. You think you’re a Batman villain or something?” She moved closer and jabbed her finger toward him. “I want some straight up answers. Right. This. Second.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Calm down. I’ll tell you, but it’s going to be difficult to believe.”
She barked a laugh and crossed her arms. “Everything that’s happened lately has been difficult to believe. Try me.”
He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. “My name is Dimitri. I’m a reaper.”
She waited. She couldn’t have heard him right, so she let the words play in her head for a bit. What else might he have said? It sounded like he said he was a reaper. But that wasn’t possible. That was utterly ridiculous. Of course, all of this was utterly ridiculous.
“Did you just say you’re a reaper?”
“I did.”
“And what exactly is it that you reap?” She’d play along. See where this led.
“Souls, Audra. I reap souls.”
Right. She impatiently brushed a lock
“Meet you? I’m coming with you now. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Aren’t you forgetting about your friend? You’re just going to disappear on him?”
Jaxon. Shit.
“Right.” She shoved her hands through her hair. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Lifting her head to stare directly into his face, she said, “Don’t screw me over. You’d better be there.”
His eyes glinted with amusement. “I wouldn’t dream of screwing you over.”
Audra held his gaze, trying to decide if she were missing a sexual subtext. Who knew with supernatural beings?
She gave a quick nod and backed away, keeping him in sight for a few moments before turning and hurrying back to the food court.
Would Jaxon still be there? Would he wonder what had happened to her? Was that poor man dead?
Paramedics were lifting the victim onto the stretcher when Audra pushed her way through the crowd to the scene.
She found Jaxon standing next to the man, overseeing his care.
“Hey, is he okay?” she asked quietly.
He gave an almost imperceptible head shake. “I’m going with him in the ambulance.” He fished his keys out of his pocket. “You take my car. Okay?”
“Sure.”
“Sorry about the pretzel.”
She smiled. “You’ll do anything to get out of treating me, won’t you?”
He reached out and tugged a lock of her hair. “You know me too well.”
Impulsively, she gave him a quick hug. “I’ll see you soon. Call me when you’re done and I’ll come get you.”
He nodded. The stretcher was now moving quickly toward an emergency exit, and Jaxon followed.
Audra turned and went back the way she’d come. Her heart raced in fear and anticipation. Was she really on her way to meet some kind of supernatural being? Some creature whose existence she could neither confirm nor explain? She would soon get the answers she needed. Would those answers ease her anxiety, or send her spiraling into insanity and terror?
Chapter 5
He was there. Waiting where he said he’d be, leaning against the wall, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. A light above the emergency door illuminated the alcove, allowing Audra to make out his features clearly. His crystal blue eyes glittered as he watched her approach. He didn’t speak when she reached him.
“Okay,” she said breathlessly, staring up into his face. “Tell me who you are and what the hell has been going on since the night of my accident.” Blood pounded through her veins, rushing loudly in her ears as she waited for his reply.
He chuckled, taking his hands from his pockets and straightening.
A flash of anger shot through her. “What’s so damned funny?” she demanded.
“Nothing. It’s just that, this hasn’t been going on ‘since the night of your accident.’ It’s been happening since the beginning of time.”
She threw her arms in the air and let them drop to her sides. “Great. All the shit I’ve been through and I get riddles. You think you’re a Batman villain or something?” She moved closer and jabbed her finger toward him. “I want some straight up answers. Right. This. Second.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Calm down. I’ll tell you, but it’s going to be difficult to believe.”
She barked a laugh and crossed her arms. “Everything that’s happened lately has been difficult to believe. Try me.”
He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. “My name is Dimitri. I’m a reaper.”
She waited. She couldn’t have heard him right, so she let the words play in her head for a bit. What else might he have said? It sounded like he said he was a reaper. But that wasn’t possible. That was utterly ridiculous. Of course, all of this was utterly ridiculous.
“Did you just say you’re a reaper?”
“I did.”
“And what exactly is it that you reap?” She’d play along. See where this led.
“Souls, Audra. I reap souls.”
Right. She impatiently brushed a lock
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