Midnight Ash (A Blushing Death Novel) by Suzanne M. Sabol Read Free Book Online Page B

mind and she was right. I knew it in my bones as they hummed with power, connection, and something else I couldn’t place.
    The ninja’s smile faded as my own eyes emptied into something peaceful, deadly.
    The sound of my name from somewhere off in the distance echoed through the hall, making the candles flicker. I knew that voice; it was familiar and warm.
    I was out of time.
    I tightened my grip on the blade in my hand and took a backhanded swing at her throat. The angle wasn’t right and she was too small a target. She leaned back at her waist, avoiding my blade.
    An antagonizing smile lit her dark blue eyes. She was having fun.
    I blinked, once. I swear, it was only the once.
    In a puff of midnight-blue smoke, she was gone. I turned, doing a complete 360 but she was gone. A high-pitched mocking cackle echoed from somewhere in the walls above my head, behind the curtains, and across my skin, filling the giant space with her bone-chilling laugh.
    The sound of my name got closer. The silver wolf beside me padded off in a dead sprint after the tiger until the cat bound off into nothingness. He didn’t look back.
    I was suddenly awake and very, very alert. My heart thundered in my ears and my breath was heavy in my chest.
    Danny hovered over me with concern furrowing his brow and lighting his hazel gray eyes. I sat with my head propped up on one hand and the remote still clutched in the other. My feet tingled with pins and needles as I stretched them out. My neck was stiff from sleeping with my head crooked in an awkward position for what seemed like hours.
    “I’ve been trying to wake you up for a few minutes but you were out. You all right?” he asked, his voice deep and assertive. Danny tried to be calm but I heard the fear around the edges of his words as his voice hitched. He sat down beside me on the couch and rested his hand on my back, never taking his eyes from me.
    I brushed my hair out of my face and rolled my head around in large circles to straighten out the kinks in my neck. It cracked in several places as I moved. Damn, that hurt.
    “I’m fine. Weird dream, is all.” I shook my head to try and shake away the foggy feeling in my brain but it wouldn’t seem to leave.
    It was dark outside. When the hell had it gotten dark?
    “What are you doing here?” I asked. Danny wasn’t on the schedule for tonight.
    “I volunteered to come and check up on you.” He slid his hand down the small of my back and over the curve of my butt. I shot him a mocking, reproach-filled glance and he moved his hand back up my spine.
    “Check up on me? Why?” After that dream, I was more spooked than I wanted to admit.
    “Nothing’s happened. We all got a little worried when you didn’t answer your phone,” he bit out. His lips were pressed in a thin line of agitation and his hand stopped moving on my back. His shoulders tensed, making the broad line of his back much more imposing. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if regaining his composure. I could always count on Danny to take the high road, especially when I couldn’t. I’d offended him though . . . again. Damn it all to hell. Why couldn’t I get this right?
    He opened his eyes and glanced around, anywhere but at me. I followed his eyes as he scanned the room, finally taking in the rest of roomy living room. The front door was still open, barely hanging off the hinges and the doorjamb was cracked with wood shards covering my floor. He’d broken down my front door to get in.
    How long had he been trying?
    “I’m sorry to worry everyone,” I said, ignoring the fire of anger in my gut from getting out of control at the condition of my front door. What if something had happened to me? I wanted someone to care, right? I should be glad that he cared this much to BREAK DOWN MY FUCKING DOOR! I rolled my neck again and tried to look at this logically, to push the anger away. Would I have broken down the door? Yes. I can just replace it. It’s just a door . I