A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

she reached
the edge of the bed. “Give him up, and I’ll let you return to your previous
life.” She picked up Cameron’s picture and nodded. “He’s pretty hot. What a
shame you don’t have him on your arm.”
    “We broke up. He needed his space,” I said,
dryly.
    “He didn’t want you.” Her eyes flickered
with amusement. “I can change that. How would you like it if you could have him
back?”
    “I don’t want that cheater.” I shook my
head, realizing I had no idea what I had ever seen in Cameron.
    “I promise he’d never ever cheat on you
again,” Layla said. “He’d love you with a passion he
never knew existed. Surely you’ve had enough of this supernatural world. I can
make you forget the last few days ever happened. Just go back to the one you
love. He’s waiting for you this very moment. Say the words and you’ll never
know sadness and despair in your lifetime.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “Why even ask me? Can’t
you just do it, and then all of your problems will go away?”
    She sighed. “If only it were that simple.
This kind of magic has to have your blessing to work.”
    If Cameron didn’t want me for who I was,
then why bother? No love potion or magic would fix that deep down it’ll all be
an illusion. Cameron would only love me because he had a big hex on him. But I
was sold on the promise of having my old life back, which I’d wanted ever since
coming here. Aidan wasn’t mine to begin with. Leaving him behind shouldn’t
prove a hard task. So, why the hesitation?
    Layla’s fake smile vanished. “You should be jumping at the opportunity. I
can make this boy love you. I can make the two of you rich beyond your wildest
dreams. I can give you both prestigious jobs that you’ve been longing for your
entire life. You’ll never have to clean somebody’s house again. Just imagine
how proud your parents would be.”
    I stared at her calmly. Why did she hurt
Aidan? The question burned on my tongue. I shouldn’t care, but I couldn’t help
it. “What happens to Aidan if I leave?”
    My words seemed to take Layla by surprise. She blinked a few times, then moistened her lips. “Well, that depends
on him, of course. I’ll leave the decision in his capable hands. Disloyalty
usually results in harsh punishment.”
    He’d tried to save me from whatever I’d
brought upon myself when I solved the riddle. How exactly had he been disloyal
to Layla ? I brushed a hand over my jeans as I
gathered my thoughts, forming a plan. “I’m only a humble employee who stumbled
into this mess by accident. I assure you I have no ties to anybody in this
supernatural world.”
    “He picked you—” Layla looked me up and down “—and the reason’s beyond me. I could’ve given him anything
he wanted, but he decided to pursue this bond thing. Not the wisest choice, if
you ask me.”
    My heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t all
about the book. Aidan truly believed in a bond and wanted me over this stunning
girl with her gorgeous skin and sultry mouth. Somewhere inside my mind a voice
screamed to run and let the vampires sort out this mess since they were better
equipped to deal with whatever Layla was, but I had
never been the cowardly type. I placed my hands on my hips and took a pace
forward, glaring up at Layla . “You may be the
prettier one, but he’s not into the bitchy type.”
    Layla’s gaze narrowed. “What did you just call me?” Several hissing snakes
crawled from under her dress, slithering around her legs.
    Maybe crossing her hadn’t been such a good
idea. Gulping, I backed off slowly toward the door. The snakes slithered across
the floor like some sort of guard dogs. I never feared reptiles, but I also
never stood so close to them before.
    Talk about skeletons in one’s closet. Aidan
sure knew how to pick his girlfriends. First a crazed killer, and then psycho
Medusa. This girl was as dangerous and obsessive as Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction —even had the
crazy, bulging eyes to prove it. If she looked at me any harder I’d soon turn
into stone.
    “I’ll think about your proposition and let
you know,” I said, paralyzed by fear. My heart hammered in my chest, my palms
were slick with sweat. “Thanks for stopping by. Please take your stones with
you on your way back. They’re in that backpack over there.” I pointed at Dallas’s
bag, then stretched out a shaking hand, secretly praying she wouldn’t shake it,
and curled my mouth into a smile.
    Ignoring my