Don't Read After Dark: Keep the lights on while reading these! (A McCray Horror Collection) by Carolyn McCray Read Free Book Online Page B

fuck her,” Door took up the call.
    “Fuck her,” Back repeated, pumping his fist up and down. This might get good after all. Even Clyde joined in.
    The chick started sobbing, again. Jesus, what a cry baby.
    “That’s right, bitch. You’ll be doing a lot of that when I—”
    Out of nowhere, a shaving blade flew through the air, slicing Back’s cheek. Okay, not out of nowhere, but from Darion’s cell.
    “Fuck!” Back yelled. That stung like a bitch.
    Darion stood there looking so damned smug. He sat down next to the broad again, seeming satisfied with his little trick. Back touched his cheek, pulling back blood.
    “Oh!” Andrew shouted. “We are seeing Darion in true form tonight!”
    “That was the last of your stash, prick,” Back said, referring to the box of blades that Darion had gotten a hold of a month ago. “Don’t think we haven’t been counting.” He pointed a finger at the sanctimonious douche. “Tomorrow, Darion. Tomorrow we settle this!”
    * * *
    Andrew chuckled—you know, as long as Back was locked up. “Dude, that’s what you say before every death match.”
    Evie hugged her knees to her chest as the lights lowered for sleep. Andrew loved this time of day. All the destruction was over with and it was time to go nighty-night.
    Even Esau’s constant prayers sounded comforting. He wanted God to keep his soul if anything happened in the night, which around here, it might very well happen.
    “What’s tomorrow?” Evie whispered.
    Darion shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”
    Oh how Andrew wanted to tell her, though. There was so much to tell. So many stories of past death matches. But, clearly, Darion didn’t want her to have an aneurism before the morning, so Andrew kept his mouth shut.
    Esau finished up his prayer. “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Hail Mary. Amen.”
    “Amen,” Andrew and everyone else repeated. And yes, that even included Darion. He tried to act all tough, but deep down he was human as any of them.
    “Sweet dreams,” Andrew commented as he lay back onto his cot, closing his eyes, ready for sleep.
     

CHAPTER 7
    Jake jerked awake. What the hell had happened? Sunlight streamed in through the blinds. He sat up on the couch only to have the photo album fall from his chest.
    His phone vibrated on the glass coffee table, playing the theme to Mortal Kombat. His hand groped around until he grabbed it, running a hand over his stubbly cheeks.
    “What?”
    Anyone calling this early did not deserve a civil tone.
    “Dude, you are the one who told me to call you as soon as I had any results,” Brad said from the other side of the line.
    “And?” Jake asked half-heartedly.
    “Well, your Evelyn… Um, Montgomery, is the one that bled in that alley.”
    That got Jake’s eyes open. Only then did he realize he wasn’t in his apartment, but hers.
    “Oh shit.,”
    “What?” Brad asked.
    Jake surveyed his surroundings. Empty Merlot bottle on the table. Hamster in the corner. Photo album on the floor. Yep, this was Evelyn’s apartment all right.
    “Nothing,” Jake said.
    “Dude, that was so not a nothing kind of ‘oh shit.’”
    Jake knew Brad. He would not let this go. He was like the office TMZ. If there was a scandal, he would find it. Best to be as honest as possible and hope Brad just didn’t find the information juicy enough to pursue.
    “Oh, I just woke up in a strange woman’s apartment.”
    “Finally!” Brad exclaimed. “So I take it that you hooked up with that Candace chick from the internet dating site?”
    Jake shook his head, more to clear it than thinking that Brad could see him. “No. No. Just someone I met last night. You don’t know her. Hell, even I don’t know her.”
    “He shoots and he scores!” Brad said, laughing.
    “Yeah, a three pointer, that’s me.”
    Brad seemed satisfied with that and moved on. “So, did Ms. Montgomery come home last night?”
    Okay, he had moved on to a sensitive topic. Jake needed to