Read Online True Faces by Catherine Banks - Free Book Online Page A

Shows what you know.
Stories stem from truth. Now find some fire and a sword. Oh, the
dojo! Straight up the street five blocks and on the
left.”
    Eric sighed in disbelief. “Ciara…”
    I smiled. “Oh come on Wesley.”
    He smiled at me. “As you wish.” He picked up
even more speed just keeping the rats out of reach of us. They were
hideous monstrosities. Rats the size of Saint Bernard’s with beady
red eyes.
    Eric ran up the dojo’s steps and I yelled,
“Akio! Rats!”
    Akio flung open the door to the dojo and Eric
darted inside. Akio snapped, “Turn away.”
    Eric set me down and I turned him to face the
back wall. “He doesn’t like an audience when he’s working.”
    Eric raised a questioning eyebrow, but stayed
facing the wall with me. Bones popped and snapped and the air
heated up around us as Akio changed. The rats’ nails clicked on the
steps as they charged up and then they hissed in fear. A roar of
rage sounded and then the oxygen was sucked from the air and fire
plumed behind us. Eric started to turn his head, but I stepped
between him and the wall and pulled his face down to mine. He
kissed me back like he was taking his first breath of air. I
wrapped my hands in his thick hair and pressed my body to his. He
pressed me against the wall and the kiss intensified as he searched
every part of my mouth as if to memorize me. His hands ran up and
down my body and settled on my lower back and neck. The sound of
dying rats and burning hair was barely noticeable in the moment of
our kiss. Nothing mattered, but Eric.
    Akio cleared his throat and I released Eric’s
hair. He stepped back from me with still closed eyes. “I’m sorry.
That was out of line,” Erica said quietly.
    I laughed softly. “I should be the one
apologizing. You just saved me and I forced the kiss.”
    Akio cleared his throat again. “Explain.”
    Eric looked down at his watch. “I hate to do
this, but I have to go. Are you going to be alright?”
    I nodded my head. “I’ll stay here at the dojo
with Akio. They won’t try to get me here.”
    Akio tried to get a better look at Eric, but
Eric kissed my lips and jogged out of the dojo. “I’ll call you
tomorrow.”
    I watched as his plump butt flexed and
relaxed with each step. Akio scoffed. “Hormones.”
    I smiled. “Sorry. Can I have some tea before
I explain?”
    Akio nodded his head then looked at the
doorway. “We should dispose of the bodies first.”
    I groaned. “I hate cleanup duty.”
     
     
    ~~~~
     
     
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    After we had disposed of the bodies we sat
down to tea in the middle of the dojo. “Eric and I were walking up
to the house and I noticed the door was broken in. Eric went inside
and then I noticed the rats in the forest and then a rat came out
of the front door. Eric grabbed it around the throat and tossed it
to the side dazing it and then he picked me up and started running.
I had him come here because it was the only place I could think to
run to. If those rats had hurt him I wouldn’t have been able to
forgive myself.”
    Akio frowned, “Your eye is still closed I
take it?”
    I nodded my head. “Yes, but I don’t need it
open to see the wererats when they’re in rat form.”
    Akio shook his head. “No, but the man…”
    My cell phone rang and I interrupted Akio to
answer it. “Hello?”
    Eric sighed. “You’re alright. Ciara, I need
you to come to the club.”
    “ But what if there are
more rats?”
    Eric spoke gruffly to someone near him. “I’ve
sent someone to pick you up. Jeremiah will be there in a
minute.”
    I frowned. “Okay, but what do you need me at
the club for?”
    Eric was silent for a moment then whispered,
“I would feel better if I knew for sure that you were safe. I don’t
doubt that your sensei can hold his own, but it would just make me
feel better. Please.”
    I don’t know if it was the way he said please
or the worry in his voice, but I agreed. “Alright.”
    Eric sighed in relief. “Thank you.