A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

Why, you’re my knight in shining armor.”
    His face remained expressionless as he
nodded. “Just switch the castle for the gloomy McAllister mansion. Aidan doesn’t
love you because he’s still in love with Rebecca. He’d do anything to raise her
from the dead. Or why do you think he participated in the race?”
    That certainly explained why Aidan wanted
the prize so badly. But usually, there are two sides to a story. I shook my
head, unwilling to let Devon twist my mind. Or maybe I couldn’t handle the
truth. “His plans are none of your business.”
    “What do you see in him anyway?”
    “He doesn’t leave the toilet seat up.” I
smiled bitterly, realizing I had no idea who Aidan really was.
    “Doesn’t your life mean anything to you?”
    “Of course it does.” I shot him a sideway
glance, wondering where our conversation was heading.
    “Then why on Earth would you hook up with
one of the McAllister brothers? You would’ve been dead before Christmas.”
    “Now you’re being melodramatic. Must be part
of the Shadow charm—all dark and gloomy.”
    Frowning, Devon stopped in mid-stride. “Are
you trying to be funny? Do you think your brother and parents would’ve seen the
joke in bringing flowers to your grave every day?”
    The thought made my heart skip a beat, dread
settling in the pit of my stomach like a heavy stone. “You know my family?”
    “Yes, and you bet Aidan’s been watching them
too. He may seem like a nice guy, sweet and charming and all that, but behind
his calculated façade hides a skilled killer. He chased you in the woods. You
only escaped because other immortals were around and he wouldn’t risk exposure.”
    Avoiding his gaze, I regarded the nearby
bushes with their tiny white flowers. I couldn’t get the thought of my parents
crying at my grave out of my mind. “I put my parents down as my emergency
contacts. You know, I never even wanted this job.” I took a deep breath. Was it
Aidan’s mission to kill me all along? It made so much sense, and yet my heart
wasn’t quite willing to buy it. A silly thing called hope kept clinging to me. I
turned away from the tall trees with their canopies of leaves. My gaze
connected with Devon’s as I tried to read his expression. “Why do you care?”
    Devon inhaled and scanned the area behind me,
black eyes glinting. “The first night we met I knew I had to save you. I couldn’t
bear the thought of Aidan ripping your throat out. It took everything I had to
just walk away.”
    “Why?” I shook my head. “I’m sorry but I
don’t need saving. Maybe pour all that energy into a worthy cause, like saving
the whales, or the Rainforest. I hear trees are being cut down at an alarming
rate.”
    “He’s killed before and he’ll do it again,”
Devon said. “Doesn’t it make your skin crawl knowing you were bunked up with Vlad the Impaler ?”
    “Huh?”
    “Look him up when you get the chance. The
point is, Aidan and Rebecca killed hundreds in their bloodlust hunt.” Devon grabbed
my hand, inching closer until we stood mere inches from one another. My breath
caught in my throat as I stared into his black eyes. “The Shadows fight to keep
humans safe from monsters on the prowl. I know our image was tarnished when
Connor tried to kidnap you. But I want you to know my brother had only the best
intentions in mind. He was desperate since he didn’t know how much time we had
left.” His tone was honest. Even though he fell quiet, I felt as though his
voice was still talking to me at the back of my mind, whispering unspoken words
in my ears.
    “Who are you people?”
    “We’re the good guys,” Devon murmured. His
gaze turned soft as he brushed a wisp of hair out of my face. “I hope in time
you come to see that. Breaking away from Aidan will be good for you. Besides,
it can’t be fun snuggling up to an ice cube every night.” He hesitated. “Or
shall I say, corpse?”
    I smiled warily. “All the more reason to
invest in flannel nightwear.”
    Smirking, Devon pulled away. “I’ll end on
this note. Aidan has killed his lovers in the past and I won’t to let him
repeat history.”
    “Why?”
    He shrugged, avoiding my gaze. “Because I
like you.” For a moment, I wasn’t sure I heard him right. I opened my mouth to
ask in what way he liked me, but Devon took my hand and led me under the low
branches of a tree on the narrow path. My hand felt strange in his as we
crossed the open space. We turned right until we