Conjuring Darkness by Melanie James Read Free Book Online Page B

thank you. So how long before I can get back to civilization?”
    “Well, a day at least but that depends on why you came down here to begin with. Of course, around here the weather can have a lot of say in it too. I will have to take you by boat up the coast until we can reach a rendezvous point, or someplace to fly out from.”  
    He held a glass and poured the tea from a pitcher. He turned his head slightly and raised one eyebrow. He walked toward her and she looked at the leather shoulder holster that held an ivory handled silver revolver with a noticeably long barrel. It reminded her of something out of an old Western. “Now what would you shoot with that?” She chuckled.
    “Bad guys. Werewolves maybe.” Kidd smiled, “actually it’s unlikely I’d shoot it at anything. Really it’s all about presence.”
    “Presence?” She said, with an arched brow.
    “In this line of work nothing can be more intimidating than a big gun.” He winked and smiled.
    Did he just wink at me? I don’t think I’ve ever been winked at. What’s up with those eyes anyway?
    She noticed that he was already performing before her. Strolling up to her shirtless, save the brown shoulder holster against his tanned thick chest. This is the guy I was checking out in the pictures! She finally got a good look at his eyes and figured out why they seemed unusual, one eye was green and the other was blue. “I think I get it.” She said.
    “Perhaps, if you’re lucky.” He laughed with yet another wink and handed her the glass.
    “Ha ha! Very funny. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it takes more than a big barrel and a cheesy one-liner for me. Although, I’m sure you get plenty of company up in your little love nest.”
    Kidd couldn’t tell for sure if she was playing along or being sarcastic. “I’m sorry, I have a habit of keeping things lighthearted and honestly you are my very first female guest. So congratulations!”
    “Um okay, I’ll buy that.” Lexi smiled at him and was amused at how he seemed genuinely sorry when he thought he may have offended her. She decided to let him know that she didn’t mind his playfulness. “And—just for the record, a big pistol is a pretty good start!” She winked back at him and was rewarded with a beaming smile.
    “Seriously I need to know a few things. In case the bad guys decide to come looking for you. What am I up against here and how did a nice girl like you end up with an old bum like Kurt?”
    “Well I have a little confession, maybe two.” She said softly while carefully gauging his reaction. “I’m not Kate. That would be my older sister. My name is Alexandria, people call me Lexi. I’m here to meet with you about finding my sister. She sent me a letter which was odd enough that she didn’t call. Even though we haven’t seen each other in a few years, we would still each drop everything and go to the end of the earth for each other, even to Medellin Colombia.” She hesitated and watched him look around the room.
    “Okay keep talking,” pausing as he recalled her name “Lexi. Some people just call me Kidd, but my first name is Ryan.”
    “The letter only said that she needed me to explicitly follow her instructions.” Lexi pulled the folded and tattered letter from her backpack and handed it to Kidd. “Here take a look it’s pretty badly damaged. She has been out of the country for a few weeks now, apparently working on some sort of archaeological research.”
    Her face looked saddened and Ryan picked up on it. “It was mailed from Israel. She told me what she needed, but the letter was badly damaged before I received it. She wanted me to go to her house, pick up an old coin from her safe and have you come with me to bring it to her.” She watched as Ryan looked over the letter. He held it up to try to see if he could make out the illegible parts.
    Ryan interrupted, “and you didn’t think it was a good idea to just ask Kurt what was going on?”
    “No. You