Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (Dead Things Series Book 1) by Martina McAtee Read Free Book Online Page B

lunatics but something about them nagged at her like a hazy picture she just couldn’t get into focus.
    Kai shoved his sleeve up, “I don’t think we have a choice. Look,”
    Tristin looked at his wrist, eyes widening. She paled beneath her tan skin. She eyed Mace, “Screw it.” She held out her hand, resigned, “Come with us if you want to live.”
    Kai sighed, “Yeah, what she said.”
    She could run. She could go back to the funeral home. Then what? A year in foster care? She just wanted to go home. Except she didn’t have a home anymore. All she had was a skull splitting headache, a fever and absolutely nowhere else to go.
    “No-”she started.
    Tristin clenched her teeth, “Get in the car or I swear to whatever deity you believe in, I will knock you out and drag you there.”
    Kai’s mouth fell open. “Wow. What was it you were saying about tact, Trist?”
    “I’m done being nice,” Tristin told him, “This is the stupidest thing we’ve ever done, forgive me if I’m not in the mood to humor anybody.”
    “When were you being nice?” Kai asked.
    Tristin ignored her brother, looking at Ember, “Well, what’s it gonna be?”
    Ember rolled her eyes, “Well, when you put it that way…why not?”

7
    KAI
    T he walk back to the car felt a bit like a death march. He should feel pretty good about himself, he’d saved a life. He’d saved a family member. Saving people was much better than having to watch them die and crossing them over. When he risked a glance, Tristin was glowering at him. He knew she was mad. Isa would be furious at them and for all her talk, his sister liked to follow orders like a good soldier.
    They tried to keep a quick pace but November-Ember-he corrected, kept craning her head behind her. He opened his mouth to reassure her she was safe, that the grim would be down for a while. He wasn’t sure what it was but the hellebore seemed to be keeping it down, at least for now. The corners of her mouth drooped downward in disappointment when she saw there was nobody there.
    He sighed, he really hoped that it was an incubus or his cousin had even worse taste in men then he did. She tried to slow her walk but he took her upper arm and dragged her along, gently of course. A slow, painful death already awaited him at home; the only thing to make it worse would be accidentally damaging a human. She stiffened at his touch, trying to pull her arm away. He loosened his grip until they were barely touching but didn’t dare let go entirely.
    When they reached the Toyota, she just looked at him, sulking. He reached around her and opened the door, gesturing grandly for her to get in. She gave one more look towards the gate.
    “Get the hell in the car.” Tristin snapped.
    Ember sighed, flopping into the backseat and crossing her arms like a preschooler on the verge of a major tantrum. It was strange to look at her. She looked like their mothers. The similarities were uncanny. She had the same ivory complexion and fiery red curls, the same freckles. She even had the tiny space between her front teeth.
    Kai and Tristin favored their father’s Thai side. The only thing they’d inherited of their mother’s was her reaper gene and her violet eyes; the same eyes as Ember. Even if he hadn’t trusted Ember’s name popping up on this arm, he would have trusted her eyes. How could he not save her?
    They’d only driven a short distance when she said, “I’m pretty sure kidnapping is a felony offense.”
    Tristin took her eyes off the road long enough to fix him with a look that screamed ‘she’s your problem’. Kai sighed. He would rather be doing literally anything but this, even dealing with Rhys, “Technically, you agreed to go.”
    She stabbed a finger in Tristin’s direction, “Only because she threatened me. That’s coercion.”
    What was she, an attorney? “I’m almost positive that is not what coercion means.” Kai told her, risking a glance at his sister. Tristin didn’t even