Free Illusions (Night Roamers) Book Four by Kristen Middleton Page A

his friends at school, he wasn’t strong enough to protect his sister.
    But , he still had the gun…
    “Screw this,” he growled, swinging the door open. There was no way he’d sit back and let her face that creature alone. Not after what it had done to Drake, and he was pretty sure that the Roamer had been one bad-assed killer. Nikki was not only new to the world she’d been forced into, but she made hasty decisions. She needed backup or she’d definitely get herself killed.
    Nathan raced down the porch steps gripping the gun firmly. As his eyes scanned the garage and then the yard, he was suddenly aware of the fact that his vision was exceptionally clear, even through the falling snow.
    Something made a crunching noise behind him and he whipped around, only to fin d a deer next to the boathouse. Their eyes met and Nathan’s heart began to pound.
    “ No way,” he muttered, staring at it.
    Although the animal was hundreds of yards away, he could see it s rounded eyes as clear as day. He could also smell it, and its scent wasn’t exactly a bad one. Hell, it was enough to make his mouth water.
    The hair stood up on the back of his neck. He’d never been much for venison, even cooked, so his reaction was a little more than disturbing.
    T he deer took off and Nathan had an insane urge to chase after it. Trying not to think too hard about it, he shook it off and began searching for his sister.
    “Nikki!” he whispered loudly, circling the garage. When she didn’t answer , he stood frozen, listening to the familiar sounds of nature all around him. After a few minutes, he got into his car and started the engine. His instincts told him that both Nikki and the gargoyle-monster were miles from the cabin and that he was wasting too much time. Something also told him that Faye had come for Nikki, and not just to murder her in cold blood. She could have done that at any time during the last couple of weeks. She obviously wanted more than just Nikki’s head, and he decided that Celeste, Faye’s number one fan, might have some answers. After the way she’d tried killing both him and his mother, he knew that there was nothing he wouldn’t do to get them from her. He just hoped that a silver bullet to the head would be enough to stop the crazy bitch if she tried attacking again. Even if it didn’t stop her, it would have to slow her down.
    The sno w was still coming down as he drove back toward town. He took the roads slowly and kept a watchful eye on the sky, half-expecting Faye to drop Nikki’s dead body onto his car, or land on it herself. Thus, the ride seemed like it lasted for hours, although it was only about forty minutes. When he finally reached the club, it was almost ten-thirty, and the place was even more jam-packed than before. He pulled out his phone to send Nikki a message, when he noticed his battery was dead. Sighing, he shoved it into his jacket pocket and tucked the gun back under his belt, making sure that it was safely hidden. Then he got out of the car and went inside. Fortunately, the bouncer at the door recognized him quickly and let him in without asking him for I.D.
    “Long time no see,” said Honi. “ Where’ve you been, man?”
    He forced a smile. “Oh, you know, here and there.”
    “What happened to your ankle?” he asked, staring down at the bandage.
    He looked down; he’d forgotten all about it. “Uh, a dog got me.”
    Honi laughed. “A dog?”
    “Yeah, a wild one. Got me good.”
    “Did you get him good, too?”
    “Let’s just say he won’t be biting anyone else.”
    “Damn, you just never know what you’re going to find out in this area.”
    “You’re telling me .”
    Honi rubbed his chin and grinned. “Hey, I think Celeste is inside. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”
    “ Sweet. I’m looking for her.”
    “ You guys had a thing before, didn’t you?”
    He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess.”
    “You together now?”
    “No .”
    Honi lowered his voice