Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand Read Free Book Online Page A

forth.
    I wandered further inside and blinked a few times, to
let my eyes adjust to the much dimmer lighting. When the room came
into focus, I was surprised to see how nice it was. The floors were
hardwood, a deep mahogany, and the walls just a shade lighter than
that. The end tables and chairs were all varying shades of brown,
giving the room an earthy feel. The biggest splash of color was a
cherry red couch and matching chairs, in the center of the room.
The lamps provided soft white light and the roaring fire in the
stone fireplace gave off enough heat to make it all cozy. After
seeing the rough exterior, this was a pleasant surprise.
    At the sound of hushed voices, I turned. Wes and Jack
stood huddled just inside the door, heads together and voices
lowered. I caught only pieces of what they said.
    “…confirmed it. She was working for the other side,”
Jack was saying.
    “I know. I heard you earlier,” said Wes. “I knew
there was something going on with her.” He glanced over at me. I
shifted but it was too late; they both realized I’d become aware of
them.
    Jack stepped away and strode into the room, his
expression transforming to friendly and blank. “Have a seat and
then you can tell me what this is all about.”
    I sank down into one of the over sized chairs
opposite the sofa and shrugged out of my jacket. Partly because the
room was overly warm and partly so I could reach my plunger handles
easier if it came to that. What had Wes meant when he said he’d
heard Jack earlier? I would’ve assumed it meant a phone call or
maybe he’d been here before me, but something about the way he’d
said it made me feel like I’d missed something. Kind of like the
way Wes had almost answered my thoughts, out on the porch. And who
was working for the other side?
    I was still on edge and the weird tingling feeling
had intensified since we’d walked inside. It was starting to make
me itch; I rubbed absently at my arms. Wes took a spot on the sofa
and leaned forward, looking tense and distracted. He wouldn’t meet
my eyes.
    Jack took the other chair, his massive body filling
every inch of cushion. “So, what’s this all about?”
    “It’s about Tara,” Wes told him, nodding at me.
“She’s the one I told you about last night. I think she could use
your help. She’s a Hunter,” he said, though the last part came out
more like a question.
    Jack looked over at me with open interest and a gleam
in his eye. “So she’s the one that killed Liliana?” His voice
lowered and became thoughtful. I could practically see the wheels
turning in his mind. I just wished I had some idea of what he was
thinking.
    “Knocked her head in with a piece of piping from the
garbage,” Wes said.
    Darn it, I thought. Could he be any more blunt? I
glared at him and prayed Jack and Liliana were not BFF’s, because
if the gleam in his eye was any indication, Jack was definitely
interested in this piece of information. I noticed he didn’t look
very sad or put out over the news, though he did shoot a hard look
at Wes, who shook his head almost imperceptibly, before turning
back to me.
    “Metal?” asked Jack. Wes nodded. “Impressive.
Especially for her age. Where did you train?” Jack asked me.
    “I didn’t.”
    Jack blinked at me in confusion. “You’ve never
trained?”
    I shook my head. “I didn’t know what I was until last
night, or I guess this morning. It just sort of happened.”
    Jack sent Wes a look that I couldn’t read. “Without
training, she’s pretty inexperienced to be able to help The
Cause.”
    “No,” Wes hissed. “I didn’t bring her here for that.
She needs help, someone to explain it to her, and I thought-” He
broke off, looking uncertain.
    I was itching to know what ‘cause’ Jack had meant,
but I didn’t interrupt.
    Jack’s brows knitted together. “What answers can I
give her that you can’t?”
    “Let me ask you something. How did you know she was a
Hunter when we walked in?”
    “I