Read Redemption for Free Online Page A

thought the defect in the DNA was much more likely than him having survived the change.
    "We do," the man confirmed.
    "I'd like two."
    "I'll get the keys." The man was far quicker on his skinny legs than Jack would have expected from him as he disappeared and reappeared in less than thirty seconds. "Two coppers."
    Jack adjusted the bow on his back as he dug into his pocket and pulled out the money bag he'd shoved in there. There wasn't much he missed about the days before his father's war, when the humans had ruled the world. He hadn't been much of a fan of cell phones, computers had irritated him, and unlike Braith he'd always preferred a fast horse to a car. There was something much more freeing about being on the back of a horse. He did, however, miss paper money and debit cards. He missed a thin wallet with all of his stuff neatly organized within, but after the war most technology hadn't survived and no one had tried to maintain what little remained or tried to bring it back. Paper money had fallen apart over time and most vampires had always felt more comfortable in dealing with the metal currency anyway. Unfortunately it was cumbersome and awkward to carry around all the time.
    Digging through the bag he pulled out two copper pieces and handed it to the man. "Rooms are right up those stairs."
    The man pointed to the set of stairs on the other side of the room. Jack nodded but found himself hesitating outside the doorway. It wasn't until the older looking vamp frowned at him that he realized he was loitering in the hopes of getting another glimpse of Hannah. He mentally shook himself and turned away from the man.
    William had walked over to join him and held out his hand for his room key. "These guys are easy pickings; I'm going to stay up for a bit."
    "Don't get yourself knifed."
    William flashed a smile and rubbed at the trimmed auburn beard that he'd grown over the past few months. "Me? Never." William pitched his voice low before continuing on. "I'm going to see what I can find out about this Calvin, and what's going on in this town."
    "Just be careful."
    "Always." William strode back through the smoky haze to the table he'd just vacated. Jack glanced at the night beyond the windows before pulling himself away from the kitchen door. His eyelids were drooping as he plodded up the steps that creaked and groaned beneath him. He glanced back at the room as he went, but though Ellen was still playing the flute, Hannah hadn't reemerged.
    A wall quickly replaced his view of the main room as he made it to the second floor. There were gaps between the boards that revealed glimpses of the light filtering up from below and did little to block the music and laughter. He stopped outside room three and slid the key in.
    He'd spent a lot of time in some not so great places over the past seven years, but as he located and turned on the lantern within the room, he was pleased to realize that this room wasn't among the worst of them. He wasn't so sure the chair in the corner would hold him, but the bed seemed solid and the mattress didn't sag down when he sat on it. He didn't see any cobwebs in the rafters which was more than he could say for most of the places he'd slept in over the past year.
    Kicking his boots off, he fell back against the bed and folded his hands behind his head as he stared into the shadowed rafters. Hunger twisted through his belly but though he knew he could probably find someone willing to share their vein, or a donation center, he didn't have the energy to climb back off the bed. He could sate his appetite in the morning.
    His hand felt heavy as he lifted it to rub at the bridge of his nose. A headache had been nagging at him ever since that memory of David had resurfaced yesterday. There was a throbbing in his chest, one that he recognized as grief, but he'd gotten better at dealing with the emotion over the past year. Well, that was if he could call what he and William were doing as dealing with it.
    His