1 Broken Hearted Ghoul Read Online Free PDF

have any courage when Abe was staring at me. He sent a thrill of terror through me when he looked my way. I couldn’t ask anything beyond what I was supposed to do. Sometimes I got a little mouthy with him. That was the best I could manage.
    But I knew who I could ask. Rocky and Dex didn’t know any more than I did. I’d learned that right away. They were terrified of Abe too. They would never speak out of turn.
    Brandon was the only person who seemed to know everything. He wasn’t afraid to talk about it either, though I knew he was scared of Abe too. It was as though he’d made peace with what was going to happen to him. Maybe because he only had two years left on his contract.
    Simon’s Mortuary was only a short walk from Devil’s Ink. I felt sure that was to make it more convenient for Abe. He had to be there each time someone was about to leave his service.
    I knew there was something magical—breaking the silver chain that bound each of us to him—before we could really die. I wondered if he had to remove the tattoo as well. That sounded painful.
    I walked up the steep hill to the mortuary, my hands buried in my pockets more from habit than trying to keep warm. I knew I wasn’t in any hurry. There was never a time limit on pick-ups. Abe wouldn’t miss the few minutes it would take for me to have a short discussion with Brandon.
    I walked into the front of the mortuary for a change. It was sparsely furnished, and as cold as the back. There were no lights, even though the day was overcast. I called Brandon’s name a few times. There was no reply.
    The ornate casket that was at the front window was filled with artificial flowers that had been there for years. The mannequins standing around the casket were the same. I blew dust off the female. She had a look of mourning about her, despite her tacky pink suit.
    “Can I help you?” Brandon popped his head into the room, a wary expression on his youthful face. It changed when he saw me. “Skye. Forget something?”
    “I was thinking maybe I could buy you some coffee.” It sounded fine in my head, but kind of lame when I said it.
    His pale eyes looked me up and down with more than casual observation. “Have I missed something?”
    “It’s just coffee. I don’t want to have sex with you—even if zombies do that kind of thing.”
    “They do that kind of thing very well, thank you.” He grinned. “You want to pump me for information, is that it?”
    “Are those the only two setting you have? Maybe we could be friends.”
    “Unlikely. But I’ll take the coffee. Who knows? It might lead to that other kind of thing.”
    He grabbed a gray jacket that had been hanging near the door. We walked out together. He didn’t bother locking up.
    “I guess you’re not worried about anyone breaking in?” I asked as I walked beside him.
    “Would you break into a place Abe owns?”
    “Probably not. You must know a lot about Abe, huh?”
    “I’m not putting out until I get my coffee—and a bagel too. I used to be a stockbroker. Did you know that? I was the youngest person ever to be given a seat on the stock exchange. Every morning, I stopped for coffee and a bagel at the same vendor, and left him a fifty-dollar tip.”
    “What happened?”
    “A man walked up one day, and shot me in the gut. He dragged me into an alley, and took my wallet and everything else he could get. I was lying there in the filth, dying, when I saw Abe. He offered me the deal, and I took it. Now here I am.”
    “Why didn’t you stay on the stock exchange?”
    He tucked his hand through my arm, and leaned his head close to mine. He smelled like peppermint and cinnamon, not like the mortuary at all. “Being shot to death makes you re-think your life, Skye. I’ve done many things during the eighteen years following my demise.”
    “For Abe or yourself?”
    “Both.” His cool blue eyes stared into mine. “How old do you think I am?”
    “I don’t know. You look thirteen or so. I’m