Read In the Dark for Free Online Page B

speaking, the
other standing beside her, watching Sebastian nervously. They both
looked at me as I came in.
    The talker was
petite and beautiful. She looked around thirty, with long auburn hair
artfully framing a dainty pixy face. Her eyes looked blood-shot,
except the blood dripped out of them.
    My eyebrows
twitched up. Another vampire? How many others were there?
    I glanced at the
woman behind her, also small, this time with gold waves and rich
brown eyes I could have lost myself in. She was beautiful, too,
square face, full lips, long lashes . . . crying. With the watery
tears of a human.
    I stepped
backwards while my eyes widened. Human? What about hiding, never
reveal yourself?
    Sebastian must
have heard me come in. He waved a hand in my direction without
turning. “Josephine, this is Ian,” he said to the
red-headed woman. “Kent’s get.”
    Josephine? That startled me for a second. Someone must have said her name,
and I heard it in my sleep. I bet the other one’s name is
Emily. With that explained to my satisfaction, the other thing
Sebastian said caught up with me.
    “Kent’s
what?” I asked.
    “Daughter,”
Sebastian said.
    This night had
more surprises than I knew what to do with. Now I was Kent’s
daughter? Kent had never called me that – not without teasing,
anyway.
    “Hello,”
the woman with the red hair said. She had a voice like silk, even
choked with tears.
    “Hi,”
I said. Her attention made me suddenly conscious that I had on jeans
two sizes too big for me and a man’s button up shirt, barefoot.
I didn’t feel too much better when she gave me a small smile
and turned back to Sebastian. I shoved my hands in my pockets and
stood off to the side like an awkward teenager at a family reunion.
    The blond woman
smiled at me. More of a sympathetic, “we’re in this
together” sort of smile, supportive and a little friendly. I
smiled back, hoping she might talk to me or give me the opportunity
to talk to her.
    “. . .
Ian,” Sebastian said. I jerked my eyes away from the blond
woman to look at him. He had his back to me, facing Josephine.
Talking about me, not to me. “I don’t see what I can do
beyond that,” he finished.
    Josephine’s
delicate hands clutched at her sleeves. “I don’t know who
else to turn to. And now you tell me Kent’s dead, as well. Why
won’t you help me?”
    He had refused
to help her? I frowned and paid closer attention to the conversation.
    “As I
said, I am looking into this matter for Ian,” Sebastian said.
“That will have to do.”
    I didn’t
want to be his scapegoat!
    Josephine’s
bottom lip trembled as fresh red tears escaped her eyes. The blond
woman put her hands over her face.
    “Can’t
you at least keep her posted?” I asked.
    Sebastian gave
me a dark look.
    “I have
made my decision.” His voice was steel. “Josephine, if
you don’t mind, I have work to do. Good night.”
    My mouth dropped
open. Sebastian turned on his heel and left, stalking back down the
hallway. Josephine watched after him, then squeezed her eyes shut.
    “Look.”
I closed the distance between Josephine and me. “I don’t
know what his problem is. If you want, I can let you know what’s
happening at the very least. Would that help?”
    It startled her
for a second. Then her expression changed and I though she might kiss
me. Not that I would have minded.
    “Oh, would
you? I didn’t know who else to ask for help, and when I told
him about Evan he said Kent was gone as well, and I just – oh.”
She reached a hand out for me, eyes gone wet again. Mine had too.
“Oh, no. Kent. I’m so sorry, Ian. I’m sorry.”
    I nodded and
looked at the floor, letting her take and hold my hand. “I’m
sorry about Evan,” I managed. It seemed like the thing to say.
    “Kent was
a wonderful man,” Josephine said, still squeezing my hand.
    I looked up.
“You knew him?”
    She nodded. “We
met sometimes, to sit and talk. I don’t suppose he would have
mentioned me. He always