A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

engine made me
drowsy. Cuddled against Aidan’s chest, I fell asleep and only woke up as Kieran
pulled onto the driveway and said, “Okay kiddies, we’re home. Let’s go grab our
guns, knives, and arrows.”
    “He’s a drama queen.” Aidan helped me out
and carried me the short distance to the house.
    “You knocked out one of us,” Kieran
muttered. “You’re delusional if you think it’s not going to come back to bite
your ass.”
    Aidan just shrugged and opened the door. In
the bright light of the hall I spotted the deep furrows on Aidan’s forehead.
When he noticed me watching, he curled his lips into a smile. I didn’t miss his
wince as Kieran slapped his shoulder to get his attention. He couldn’t fool me.
I could feel he was hurt.
    “I guess what happened back there wasn’t
very pretty,” Kieran said.
    “We’ll talk later.” Aidan’s jaw set. “Lock
the doors. As for Blake, he’s no longer welcome here.” I squeezed his hand,
feeling guilty for how things turned out. If I didn’t strike that pact with the
Shadows, Aidan and Blake might still be friends. But it also occurred to me
that Aidan might also be dead.
    Kieran snorted. “I’ve been telling you for
years Blake’s a loose cannon.”
    “Forget Blake,” I said, realizing I was
still alive in spite of what the Shadows had claimed. Who could I trust? The
line between friend and foe was shifting back and forth. All I wanted was my
old life. I had a feeling it was time to try bargaining with Aidan. “You have
more pressing problems. The Exorcist kid wants me to save the Shadow race. They’re
not letting me go without a fight.”
    “Amber’s right,” Kieran said. “Besides,
what good is a locked door against an army of Shadows if they decide to
encircle the property and wait until our blood supply dries out?”
    “I know, but—” Aidan hesitated and
shot me a strange glance, as if considering whether to continue “—we can
teleport, they can’t.”
    Kieran nodded and disappeared into the
kitchen. Aidan led me to the library. As soon as the door clicked shut, he
lowered his lips onto mine, pulling me close until I could barely breathe. Closing
my eyes, I savored the soft caress of his mouth while his fingers trailed down my
arm. He ended the kiss too quickly and took a step back.
    “Look at me.” His voice was barely more
than a whisper. I opened my eyes to meet his burning gaze. He moistened his
lips. “Don’t play hero because this isn’t a game. They could’ve killed you.”
    “I highly doubt that. You’re the one with
an X on your back,” I said. “Actually, they loved me and even wanted me to be
part of their family.”
    “That’s one crazy family in need of psyche
meds big time. Can you imagine the family portrait with all those big black
eyes staring at you.” He pulled me close again, cradling me against his broad
chest. “Don’t believe their lies, Amber. We’re talking about people who’ve
hated me for centuries. They’d promise you the world if it helped them gain
your trust.”
    His hands clenched to fists, his face flushed.
I could see how much he struggled to keep his temper under control. The Shadows
had been nothing but obliging. Something stirred inside me, a deep voice echoed
at the back of my mind, calling me to listen. Realization struck me with such
force that I stumbled back, staring at him. “You’re doing your mind games
again.”
    “What?” Aidan’s expression darkened. “What
are you talking about?”
    Hiding my trembling hands behind my back, I
shook my head. I had to keep quiet for the sake of my safety. Aidan didn’t know
the Shadows had filled me in on his secret ability. I grimaced at the image of
Aidan holding beautiful Rebecca in his arms, laughing at the common mortal trusting
and falling in love with him. I had been such an idiot to let my guard down. If
it weren’t for his ability to influence my mind, I wouldn’t have fallen for him
so hard in such a short time. If he ever found out, my humiliation would be
complete.
    “Just tell me what’s wrong.” He touched my cheek.
I slapped his hand aside, disgusted with myself. I didn’t belong here and the
sooner I left his world, the better.
    “Don’t get a hero complex.” I crossed my
arms over my chest and glared at him, barely able to keep my voice from shaking
at his fake confusion. “I don’t owe you a thing, Aidan. In fact, you owe me for
saving your butt.”
    He frowned. “I’m most grateful, but