Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon Read Free Book Online Page A

all."
    And she would be the one to blame for the death of humanity.

CHAPTER 4

    Welcome home, Nicky!"
    Nick opened his eyes to find himself in their crappy living room with Aunt Menyara standing in front of him, holding an actual store-bought chocolate cake with the same happy words written on it that she'd just uttered. He was stunned by the small crowd around her who shouted her words at him.
    Wow .
    Petite like his mother, Menyara had smooth chocolate-brown skin that glowed in the flickering candlelight. Her sisterlocks were held back from her beautiful face by a wide yellow scarf she'd tied around her head that trailed down her back, just past her hair. The yellow was mirrored in her peasant blouse that was tucked into a bright orange skirt that fell all the way to her ankles.
    Skinny silver bangles lined both of her arms and they jingled as she angled the cake for him to see her beautiful handwriting. "It's your favorite, cher. We're so glad you're home."
    Nick blushed as his gaze went from her to the rest of the dancers who worked with his mom who'd come over for his party. Even John and Greg, two of the bouncers from the club, were here.
    They were clapping and smiling at him, making him extremely uncomfortable with the attention as they congratulated him on being a hero.
    Funny, he felt more like a fraud.
    Menyara put the cake down on the counter for him. "C'mon,
    cher, and blow out the candles before they ruin your beautiful cake."
    He always loved the lilt of Menyara's Creole accent whenever she spoke. A voodoo priestess and midwife, Aunt Mennie, as he called her, was also his godmother and his mother's best friend.
    She'd been the one who'd brought him into this world and who'd taken his mom in after her parents had tossed her out. When he'd been too young to go to the club with his mom, Mennie had been the one who kept him. For that alone, he'd do anything in the world for her.
    "Thanks, everyone," he muttered as he went to the cake and blew out the candles.
    His mom stood behind him with her hand on his uninjured shoulder. "We're all so proud of you, baby."
    "That's right." Greg, a huge bear of a man with long brown hair and pockmarked skin, stepped forward to hand him a box. "We took up a collection for you at the club. Hope you like it."
    Their kindness touched him. It felt more like a birthday than a return home from the hospital.
    Ripping the box open, he found a Street Fighter video game and a T-shirt that said: nick gautier. superhero of the day.
    Nick didn't have the heart to tell them that he didn't have a gaming system here. Any more than he could tell them that he hadn't been a hero. He'd only been trying to make something right that he'd let go terribly wrong.
    "Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate it."
    Tiffany stepped around Greg and pulled an envelope out of the box. "You forgot this."
    Nick handed the box to his mom before he took the envelope, but since his left arm was still in a sling, he couldn't open it.
    "Here, child." Menyara took it and opened it for him.
    He gaped as he saw five twenty-dollar bills in her hand. "What's that for?"
    Tiffany smiled. "Your college fund. We know it's not much, but it'll cover most of the days of work you missed while you were in the hospital."
    He looked at his mom, who was smiling in gratitude. But he didn't feel grateful. He felt weird about it, especially knowing how hard all of them worked for it. "I can't take this."
    John snorted. "Take it. Don't make me have to whup your butt and put you back in the hospital, snotwad. Just be grateful for it and don't ever spend it on drugs or cheap women 'cause I know what I'd have done with it at your age and we're all raising you to be better than that."
    Nick didn't know what to say. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."
    Then someone turned up the music to play Aerosmith's "Walk This Way and the party started even though it was hard to move in their small condo. Then again, the dancers were used to being up on