Til Death (Jane #5) by Samantha Warren Read Free Book Online

was standing off by myself having a smoke when this guy
came out of nowhere. Literally, nowhere. One minute I was alone,
the next he was right next to me. Freaked me out. He told me he
could give me a better job, offered me better pay. I was tired of
struggling and pretty stupid. I said okay.
    "He took me back to a sanctuary, taught me
the ways of the vampire. I was an enforcer for a year or so before
he procured my turning. He was killed shortly afterward in a raid
on a cave full of goblins. I was kind of left by myself, even
though I had all those other vampires around me. I never really
felt like I fit in."
    He kept his head down and focused on my
shredded thighs.
    "Is that how you ended up with Raymond?" I
asked, almost in a whisper. Honestly, I was afraid of the answer,
but Anson seemed like a good guy and I had to know what would make
someone like him hook up with someone like Raymond.
    "Sort of. Actually, I fell in love." He
laughed at that. "Isn't that always the story, though? Love always
seems to be involved in some way, whether it's true love or
unrequited love."
    I laughed, too. "Yeah, I guess so. Love is
how I became a vampire."
    He nodded. "I know. Anyway, I fell in love
with this beautiful woman named Ava maybe ten or so years ago. I
didn't know she was sick at first. She didn't tell me. I found out
when she collapsed on the way to the car one day while I was taking
her to the movies. She fell and couldn't get back up. I took her to
the sanctuary, which was the first mistake, and the doctors told me
that she had terminal cancer. Apparently, she had refused all
treatment when she found out three years prior. They told me there
was nothing they could do and that I needed to take her home. So I
did, and then I turned her."
    I gaped at him. "Without permission?"
    "Yes. What else could I do, Jane? I couldn't
lose her. I loved her more than I had ever loved anyone or anything
in my entire life. She was my world."
    I started to berate him for doing something
so stupid until I thought of Stephen. He did the same, and I knew
that if Felipe was human, I would, too. "What happened to her?"
    I flinched as he worked vigorously on my
broken foot. The bones were knitting themselves back together, but
his rough hands were not helping the pain. "They found out, of
course. And came after us. We hid for awhile, a few months, but
they hunted us down. They took her while I was out finding blood.
She was destroyed before I could find her and free her."
    His head was near my hand and I patted him
with my fingers. He looked up and gave me a faint smile.
    "I went on the run alone, never staying in
one place long. I did alright, but it was getting harder and
harder. Eventually, I heard about Raymond and decided to seek him
out. I was still livid at the Council, and it seemed like the smart
choice at the time."
    "Not so much, huh?"
    Anson stuck his tongue out at me. "No, not so
much. With all his rogues running around, I learned quickly why the
Council makes such a big deal about them. They know nothing and he
has no desire to teach them how to live in peace with the humans.
He wants them to run amuck and do as much damage as possible, but I
think his plan is faulty. He thinks he can control them, but having
hordes of untrained vampires is a lot different than having a few
covens poking at sanctuaries across America."
    "So why do you stay, if you don't agree with
him anymore?"
    "Where would I go?" he asked. "I'm a rogue
myself. I'm an outcast. I know it's of my own doing, but without
this place, I have nothing. Here, I at least have some semblance of
a home."
    I nodded. "I can understand that. One more
question, then I promise I'll stop interrogating you."
    He raised his eyebrow at me. "I seriously
doubt that, but go ahead."
    It was my turn to stick my tongue out.
Luckily, it had stitched itself back together from the time I
almost bit it in two after Raymond smacked my face with the pliers.
"Why are you being so nice to me? If this is