The Faerie Master (Aaron's Kiss Series) by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online

was standing at the stove when Paul came back to tell her she had a phone call. He normally just screamed at her to get it. Tonight he walked into her kitchen. She just knew that she didn’t want to answer it.
    “Paul, why don’t you just tell them to quit calling here? I would be very happy if you did. I don’t want to talk to whoever is on the other end. I don’t care if they’re telling me I’ve won the lottery.”
    “It’s a woman. She sounds really upset. I tried to lie to her and tell her you weren’t here and she said to put you on. Told me to tell you that she would either talk to you on the phone or come down here and speak to you. And I didn’t want her to come here.”
    “Fuck! Will you get a number for me? Tell her I have six orders on the grill and I need this job too. Tell her I’ll call her back before eleven. And tell her that I promise and I keep mine. If she has a problem with that, then tell her I quit.”
    Paul went to the phone to relay her message. Cade wanted to cry. That and she really wanted to go upstairs and take a long, hot bath, crawl into bed, and never wake up. About an hour ago her throat had started to hurt and now it was a full blown ache. Her muscles felt like someone had stretched her out on a rack and pulled her taut for several days, and her head was pounding like a jackhammer was being used in it. She couldn’t afford to get sick.
    At a quarter till eleven she called the number Paul had written down for her. She was on break and really wanted to lie down, but didn’t figure Mrs. MacManus would be put off. On the second ring, she answered.
    “I didn’t think you’d call back. I was just putting on my coat to come down there and kick your ass. I need to speak to you.”
    “Yeah, I got that. Don’t threaten my boss again. Long after I finish helping you out I still have to work here. What do you want? I have to get back to work soon.” She sneezed three times and had to blow her nose while she delivered her little speech.
    “You’re sick. Come to the house after work tonight. Better yet, let me have someone come and get you. You can’t be riding that bike around in this weather. You’ve probably gotten pneumonia or something worse. I’ll have Aaron there when you get off.”
    “Gee, thanks, Mom. Whatever would I do without your loving care? Fuck off. I’m not going anywhere with you people. Hiring me to help out while your cook is gone does not make you my keepers. If this is all you wanted then I’m busy. I’ll be there in the morning.”
    Cade was just about to hang up when she heard her name. She needed a nap not this woman. Bringing the phone back to her ear, she waited. Paul brought her a cup of tea and a bourbon chaser and set it in front of her. She grinned at him when he winked.
    “I want to know what you are going to do about Shawn. I can talk to you about it tomorrow if you’d like to think about it. I know you are new to the idea of vampires, but they have needs and I would like it if you’d let me explain it to you.”
    “No. I don’t want anything to do with that man. My break is over. I’ll see you in the morning.” Cade hung up and sat there.
    “You okay, kid? Never seen you so upset before. Maybe you should quit them folks and keep away from them. That woman sounds like a real piece of work.”
    “You have no idea. I need the money or I would. I don’t quit, you know that. Paul, do you think it would be all right if I could borrow fifty bucks from you until payday? I need to pay off someone and I think I need to get something for this cold. I’m good for it.”
    He gave her seventy, all the cash he had on him, and told her not to worry about it. She was a good kid and he liked her, he told her. Nearly crying again Cade went back to the kitchen and started on the three orders that were hanging there. She hadn’t bothered asking him about the rooms upstairs. Paul’s brother had flown in from out of town and he had moved in for a few