Free Dead and Beyond by Jayde Scott Page B

yet I knew he had heard me by the way he drew his breath.
    “Do you want to?”
    I nodded slowly while my brain screamed at me and my heart started to bleed. Against my better judgment I heard myself say, “Yes, I do.”
    Devon’s smile made my heart skip a beat. “In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow, same time, same place.”
    I thought I heard something like, “It was a nice kiss”, as I walked back to the house in a daze, even floating a bit, my mind devoid of any thoughts. But I didn’t turn. The thought that I didn’t really want to kiss Devon consoled me for all of five seconds. And then the guilt came creeping up on me.
    I had no idea what came over me, or even why I let a ghost pressure me to do it. Maybe Aidan’s disappearance bothered me and I needed to take it out on him somehow. It wasn’t right, but I figured Devon wasn’t interested in me anyway, what with me being a bloodsucker and all, and bloodsuckers being their arch enemies. Besides, I would never leave the gates. And, last but not least, I wouldn’t swap Aidan for anyone in the world. He was gorgeous, loving, generous, and perfect. We shared a bond. What else could I ask for?
    Aidan wasn’t back when I climbed up the stairs to my bedroom and sat down on the bed, cradling a copy of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park in my lap, ready to lose myself in someone else’s tragedy for a change. When I finally looked up again, darkness had descended upon the Scottish Highlands, and millions of stars dotted the sky. With a sigh, I closed the book and placed it carefully on the bedside table, then went in search of Aidan. Where the hell was he? My heart thumped fast and I began to panic, even though I knew there probably was no need. He was a vampire, big and almost invincible. But only almost.

Chapter 8
    It was almost midnight when I checked the clock on my nightstand. Aidan still hadn’t returned from his new job and my concern was slowly growing to immeasurable heights. Several times I felt compelled to call Kieran again just to have someone reassure me Aidan was a big guy who knew what he was doing. The trouble with men, however, is that their ego often exceeds their height—or abilities. Whatever Aidan’s job involved, I knew he’d jump in with both feet, probably head first, to get it done. While I liked his enthusiasm when we were alone, I wasn’t so keen on his attitude toward fulfilling his duties, especially not when taking risks was part of the job description.
    Rubbing my eyes to get rid of the throbbing sensation inside my head, I tossed the book on the already overcrowded bedside table and decided to search for another activity to kill time. Ever since coming here, I had even developed a bit of a fondness for cleaning, probably because I was mostly bored out of my mind.
    Gathering the laundry, I climbed down the staircase to the basement when I realized I had completely forgotten about the kicked-in door. Leaving it hanging off its hinges wasn’t an option because Aidan was bound to find out and ask questions. But I knew nothing about DIY work. I briefly considered calling Kieran to ask for help, then decided against it since I figured he was probably even more clueless than I was.
    I tapped my fingers against the doorframe, begging my immortal mind to come up with a brilliant plan, when I felt a sense of urgency a moment before the unnerving sound of someone rattling the gates echoed in my ears. It sounded as though someone was trying to get in, but this time I knew it wasn’t just in my head.
    My temper flared. Seriously, not again. I was so sick and tired of the spirit’s mind games.
    “Go away,” I hissed.
    The sound continued and pictures began to flood my mind. A dark shape hovering outside the gates, his hood covering his face so I couldn’t make out his features. I realized this wasn’t an apparition but a vision, just like the one I had about Angel.
    Whoever was out there probably knew Aidan wasn’t home and wanted to