The Demon Trappers: Foretold by Jana Oliver Read Free Book Online

do with me. She says I’m a total loser, not worth her time.’
    What kind of mother is she?
    Riley laid her head against his, curling her arm round his broad shoulders, and gave him a hug. ‘She’s wrong. You’re not a loser, Beck. You’re a very cool guy.’
    He sniffed once and pulled away, rising slowly out of his seat. Another swipe at the tears and then he donned his stone face, the one that wouldn’t let the world see how bad he was
hurting.
    ‘Come on. It’s time for ya to meet her.’
    Sadie Beck didn’t have a roommate, and her bed was near the window. A moment before Beck stepped round the curtain he paused, like he was layering on additional defensive
armour before an engagement with the enemy.
    She didn’t look her fifty years of age, but at least a decade older. Her skin was sallow, lined, her collar-length blonde hair the same colour as Beck’s, except it was riddled with
dull grey. She had an oxygen tube in her nose and each breath seemed to require a monumental amount of effort. Bloodshot brown eyes scrutinized her visitors. Her focus wasn’t on Riley, but on
her son.
    ‘Damn, I must be dead and this is hell,’ she said. ‘Why else would ya be here?’
    Riley gaped. Maybe this was some kind of weird joke between them. She shot a glance at Beck and from the pained expression she knew it wasn’t.
    ‘Sadie,’ he said, his voice low. ‘Don’t start. Not now. Not with what’s happenin’.’
    The patient began to cough, a thick spasm that caused her to jerk on the bed. When Beck didn’t move, Riley stepped closer, dug into the box for a handful of tissues and handed them over.
Sadie spat bright blood into the pristine white.
    The patient gave her the eye. ‘So who are you? His latest bit of ass?’
    What?
‘No,’ Riley replied. ‘I’m a . . . friend.’
Maybe more than that.
    A snort. ‘Liar. He don’t have no friends. Isn’t that right, Denver?’
    ‘Riley and I came down to be with ya and—’
    Sadie waved him away with a bony arm. ‘Don’t need ya. Never did.’
    ‘I know. Right now ya do.’
    She shook her head. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be outta here soon enough. That’s what ya want anyways.’
    ‘Ya know what I want,’ he said, his voice trembling. ‘Ya’ve known that since I was old enough to talk.’
    ‘It don’t matter anyways.’ She coughed harder now.
    ‘Mr Beck?’ a voice called out. The nurse at the door gestured for him to join her and he didn’t seem pleased with the interruption.
    Riley wasn’t sure if she should follow him or not. Unable to make a decision, she remained rooted in place. He gave her a worried look from the door.
    ‘Go on,’ Riley urged, and Beck reluctantly followed the nurse down the hall.
    Sadie issued a throaty chuckle. ‘Yer prettier than most of the ones he’s been with.’
    ‘We’re not dating. We trap demons together.’
    ‘I know. I read about ya in the paper.’
    If you can read, why didn’t you teach your son?
    ‘Then you know Beck saved some of the other trappers’ lives.’
    The woman shrugged. ‘He’s always played the hero. Never got him anywhere.’
    It was like suddenly discovering an alien species. Riley frowned, trying to wrap her mind round someone so callous, so self-centred that they couldn’t see anything but themselves. It would
be easy to believe that it was because of the illness, but the malice was so deep Riley felt that wasn’t the case.
    ‘I would think you would be proud of him,’ she said.
    ‘Ah, ain’t that pretty. Yer standin’ up for him. Yer as stupid as I was. I believed everythin’ guys told me and it was all lies. Ya’ll learn soon enough.’
    ‘I’ve already learned that lesson,’ Riley replied. ‘Beck isn’t that kind of guy.’
    ‘He’s not told ya everythin’. He never will. He don’t trust no one.’ Sadie’s breathing grew laboured. ‘Ask him about the time I dumped him in the
swamp.’ The woman shook her head. ‘Only eight years old and I knew then he