Read Online Souls of the Damned (Kat Redding) by E.S. Moore - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: E.S. Moore
Ads: Link
didn’t do easy anymore.
I shut off the engine, but didn’t make a move to get off of the bike. A shadow passed in front of a curtained window in Lei’s house, telling me someone was inside. Whether it was Jonathan or Doctor Isa Lei herself, I couldn’t tell from here. The curtains were thick, meaning I only had vague shapes to go by.
The street was peaceful. The only other time I’d been here, I’d been half dead, so I’d never really had a chance to take in the sights. I knew there were probably bad things going on in some of the houses or in the bushes of one of the abandoned yards, but from the road, it looked like a place where someone could get comfortable as long as they were extremely sure of themselves and careful. Someone like Doctor Lei, perhaps. The woman might be small, but she made a living caring for monsters who would rip her throat out if given the chance. The woman had balls. She’d taken care of me when I’d been severely injured after a confrontation with my brother and his Tainted friends. Without her, I very well might have been crippled.
I stepped off my bike and took a handful of steps toward the house before stopping. What if Jonathan didn’t want to see me? He might still be reeling from the death of those he’d sworn to protect. I knew what it felt like to feel responsible for the deaths of others, but never on this scale.
My chest tightened as I realized I couldn’t go barging in on him like this. He might resent me for it. He needed time to sort through his demons.
I turned to head back to my motorcycle. Someone was standing beside it.
My gun was out in an instant, pointed at a dark face decorated with a handful of piercings. Long legs connected to a fit body. Chocolate eyes watched me carefully as she spoke.
“He’s struggling with it,” Keira said, not so much as flinching from my gun. “He doesn’t do this to you on purpose.”
I let out an angry breath. “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I said, but without much heat. I slammed the gun home, pissed that I’d let her get the drop on me.
“I was on patrol.” Keira glanced around, clearly still on the job. “I saw you pull up. I wasn’t sure you were even going to get as far as you did.”
“I’m not even sure why I came.”
Keira gave me one of those “Don’t be stupid” looks.
“It’s still too soon,” I said, a little on the defensive side.
Keira shrugged. She looked haggard, as if she’d been on patrol for more than just an evening. Before, Jonathan had an entire Cult. Now, he only had two werewolves, and instead of watching over them, they were the ones keeping him safe. It couldn’t be sitting well with the former Denmaster.
“It’s never too soon,” she said, approaching me. “He needs you more than ever, but he’s scared.”
I snorted. “Tell him to join the club.”
Her eyes flashed in anger, but it quickly dissipated. “Sometimes you have to do things that aren’t pleasant,” she said. “He hasn’t come to you because he’s never been as alone as he is now. He doesn’t know how to handle it. He doesn’t want to bother you with his problems. He doesn’t want to scare you away. He hates himself for feeling as if they’d died because of him.”
“They didn’t,” I said. “He should blame the Left Hand. Tell him that.”
Keira gave a sad smile. “It would sound better coming from you.”
I knew she was right. I’d dealt with things like this before. Pushing everyone away only makes life harder. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to stop.
“I need to keep moving,” Keira said, scanning our surroundings. “Walk with me.”
There was a moment of hesitation before I turned and walked at her side.
“How is he exactly?” I asked. “I mean, I know he’s torn up, but does it look like he’ll get through this okay?”
“I think so.” Keira took a wide berth around Lei’s house, as if she didn’t want anyone else to see me yet. “He’s stronger than he
I shut off the engine, but didn’t make a move to get off of the bike. A shadow passed in front of a curtained window in Lei’s house, telling me someone was inside. Whether it was Jonathan or Doctor Isa Lei herself, I couldn’t tell from here. The curtains were thick, meaning I only had vague shapes to go by.
The street was peaceful. The only other time I’d been here, I’d been half dead, so I’d never really had a chance to take in the sights. I knew there were probably bad things going on in some of the houses or in the bushes of one of the abandoned yards, but from the road, it looked like a place where someone could get comfortable as long as they were extremely sure of themselves and careful. Someone like Doctor Lei, perhaps. The woman might be small, but she made a living caring for monsters who would rip her throat out if given the chance. The woman had balls. She’d taken care of me when I’d been severely injured after a confrontation with my brother and his Tainted friends. Without her, I very well might have been crippled.
I stepped off my bike and took a handful of steps toward the house before stopping. What if Jonathan didn’t want to see me? He might still be reeling from the death of those he’d sworn to protect. I knew what it felt like to feel responsible for the deaths of others, but never on this scale.
My chest tightened as I realized I couldn’t go barging in on him like this. He might resent me for it. He needed time to sort through his demons.
I turned to head back to my motorcycle. Someone was standing beside it.
My gun was out in an instant, pointed at a dark face decorated with a handful of piercings. Long legs connected to a fit body. Chocolate eyes watched me carefully as she spoke.
“He’s struggling with it,” Keira said, not so much as flinching from my gun. “He doesn’t do this to you on purpose.”
I let out an angry breath. “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I said, but without much heat. I slammed the gun home, pissed that I’d let her get the drop on me.
“I was on patrol.” Keira glanced around, clearly still on the job. “I saw you pull up. I wasn’t sure you were even going to get as far as you did.”
“I’m not even sure why I came.”
Keira gave me one of those “Don’t be stupid” looks.
“It’s still too soon,” I said, a little on the defensive side.
Keira shrugged. She looked haggard, as if she’d been on patrol for more than just an evening. Before, Jonathan had an entire Cult. Now, he only had two werewolves, and instead of watching over them, they were the ones keeping him safe. It couldn’t be sitting well with the former Denmaster.
“It’s never too soon,” she said, approaching me. “He needs you more than ever, but he’s scared.”
I snorted. “Tell him to join the club.”
Her eyes flashed in anger, but it quickly dissipated. “Sometimes you have to do things that aren’t pleasant,” she said. “He hasn’t come to you because he’s never been as alone as he is now. He doesn’t know how to handle it. He doesn’t want to bother you with his problems. He doesn’t want to scare you away. He hates himself for feeling as if they’d died because of him.”
“They didn’t,” I said. “He should blame the Left Hand. Tell him that.”
Keira gave a sad smile. “It would sound better coming from you.”
I knew she was right. I’d dealt with things like this before. Pushing everyone away only makes life harder. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to stop.
“I need to keep moving,” Keira said, scanning our surroundings. “Walk with me.”
There was a moment of hesitation before I turned and walked at her side.
“How is he exactly?” I asked. “I mean, I know he’s torn up, but does it look like he’ll get through this okay?”
“I think so.” Keira took a wide berth around Lei’s house, as if she didn’t want anyone else to see me yet. “He’s stronger than he
Similar Books
