Soulless (The Heartless Series Book 2) by Kelly Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

quickly. “All I know is that I’m on the floor, and you look all worried and Florence Nightingale about me. It’s kinda sexy.”
    “Hart.” I growl. I don’t have time for this. The world is ending, and he’s flirting. Can’t say I hate being sexy, though. He’s never exactly called me that. Not even when he was Sam. Not that I feel particularly sexy at the moment. I feel like death warmed over… worse, actually. I feel like death’s three-day-old, leftover Thanksgiving meal. The part with just the dark meat left. Dark meat and the last bit of sweet potatoes—not even the marshmallows.
    “Gracen.” He glares.
    “Tell me what you know. Stop being such a vague idiot about it.”
    “Idiot? Me? You’re the one who nearly killed me.” Once he’s said the words, I can tell he instantly wants to take them back. So much for being a big, bad, smart demon, right?
    “So you do remember what I did?” My heart beats so loud I can hear it in my chest. I realize in that moment how much I’d rather he not know what I’m capable of. Who knows if I can do more? If that was me on not full power, when I fully turn…
    I’m going to be sick.
    Hart bites his lip and sighs. “Yeah. I remember, okay? I remember the black eyes, then the red eyes, then the shiny blue and white eyes, and being thrown against the wall—and not in the sexy way…”
    “And how much I seemed to like it?” I can’t look at him. Not in the eyes. I’m ashamed of what I’ve done, ashamed of what I am. No, I can’t control it, and I didn’t choose for my father to be a dick-head angel. I’m sure not all angels are like him, but my father seems to be one heck of a jerk. I didn’t choose to be this thing that will kill everything. I guess I can choose what I do with it, though. I can choose how I handle my newfangled powers.
    “Look at me.” Hart’s voice is soft and tender, much too tender to talk to the woman who nearly killed him. Then again, he’s killed me in my dreams numerous times.
    Stop that! I order myself. I can’t keep thinking of Hart like that. The guy who tormented me, who drove my Aunt Willow crazy, who I hated for years. I can’t… because truthfully, and as much as I hate it, he’s all I have now. All I have, and no matter what I feel about him, I have to change it. I can’t keep hating him, or I’m afraid I’ll hurt him again. Or worse. My conscious can’t have that on it. So, from now on, Hart will be Hart. The past will be in the past, and we’ll move on. Because it’s all we can do. There’s no turning back now.
    After all, if I truly am what Seth says I am—and it’s looking pretty good for that to be true—then there’s even more evil in me than Hart. Hart fought for years to keep his humanity. Maybe he can help me keep mine.
    When the demon is the lesser of the two evils…
    “Gracen, look at me.”
    He doesn’t place his fingers under my chin like he did the last time. I sort of miss it. Instead he lets me meet his gaze on my own. I’m grateful for it. After everything, I’m not sure I can handle anything touching my face, comforting me. I don’t deserve it.
    “I can see it in your eyes. You hate yourself.”
    Hearing it out loud makes me want to fall apart. What good would that do?
    “I don’t hate myself.” I lie. I don’t care if he believes me.
    “Right, and you call me the liar.” He’s trying to make me feel better. He’s not really succeeding. “Look, Gracen, yeah, okay. I remember what you did, but I know there’s a reason why you did it. And I wasn’t going to show you this now, because I figured you needed to rest some more, but I don’t see you resting so I might as well show you.”
    “Show me what?” A dangerous question to ask Hart. It could be the gates of Hell or his male member. With him, you never knew if you got the demon or the man… or the boy.
    He smirks, and I can tell he really wants to tease me, but even he can see this isn’t a teasing situation.