Beautiful Death Read Online Free PDF Page A

saw.
    “ Hai , wakarimashita .” She bowed low, her hair nearly brushing the floor. “As you wish. Oyasumi .” The little bit of English she spoke was perfect, but her accent was thick and sultry.
    Heh, maybe staying wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.
    Ash narrowed his eyes at the American and answered Haruka with a soft, “ Subarashii . Oyasumi.”
    Tristan furrowed his brow in return, wondering why he was getting the stink eye. He was so focused on Ash that he hadn’t noticed that the meek woman had already left. Dog held in his arms, Ash turned away to retire to his own room, the one at the end of the hall hidden behind the double wide dark bamboo doors.
    “Now hold on,” Tristan interjected, voice deep and scratchy from being tired, puking and damned annoyed.
    Ash heaved a sigh. “I am very tired. You saw what I did to save you.” He put the dog down and she disappeared into the room.
    “Yeah, I saw. Lucky I didn’t call the cops on your ass. You know it’s illegal to carry, right?”
    Ash’s lips pursed and his cheeks flushed ever slightly, just a hint of pink. “Are you always so… so…”
    “Difficult? Yes.”
    “Obstreperous,” Ash supplemented pointedly. “If you wish to leave so badly, then here—” Ash threw Tristan’s car keys at him. The American barely caught them before getting smacked in the face. “Leave. But I can promise you that if you do, long before this hour tomorrow, you will be dead.” Ash gave a small, dark smile. “And I do love saying, I told you so, so very much.”
    Tristan swallowed hard, staring back at the confident man, unsure if he believed him, but still, he couldn’t hide the anxiety he felt. Seeing the zombie up close and personal made him believe, just a little, that there was something happening to him that he needed help with. God, he hated asking for help. “That’s… I don’t understand.”
    Seeing the loudmouthed American sober, Ash took in a deep, calming breath. He didn’t generally approve of using fear as a tool, but it was an all too familiar one. Unfortunately. “I know. However, neither of us is in the position to discuss this now. Rest and then tomorrow we will speak further on the matter.”
    “Sure,” Tristan answered. “Okay…”
    Seeing him so somber made Ash think that this foulmouthed man wasn’t as bad as he originally thought. He was just frightened. It was wise of him to be frightened. Ash nodded, and turned away, reaching behind the door to a table just inside the room. Having found the bounty, he turned back to the guest with a small pouch on a cord. “Wear this as you sleep. Be sure it touches your skin.”
    “What?” Tristan snapped, taken aback. “What the fuck is it?”
    Ah, there it was again, that American charm.
    Ash’s features twitched in annoyance. “It will aid in your sleep. It will keep...” Ash stopped and blinked up at Tristan, trying to find the right words. “It will keep the nightmare at bay.”
    Tristan frowned, but took the weird necklace from him anyway. “Yeah, okay.”
    “Listen,” Ash said and took a step towards him. Despite his size and appearance, Tristan was suddenly weary of the shorter man. He seemed to carry the threat of menace in his pale eyes, in his stiff stance. Tristan couldn’t stop himself from stepping back. “I understand that you do not trust me. And I am not asking you to like me. But you must understand this, I am not the one you want to make enemies with. You do not see it now, but I am your savior. I will be the one to ensure your continued existence in this world. All I am asking is that you believe in me.”
    Tristan scowled. Believe in him? How the fuck was he supposed to believe in someone he didn’t even know?
    Ash took another menacing step towards him, but this time Tristan refused to give. The other man’s ashy voice was low as he said, “I am only asking that you believe in something for once in your life or you will not have one for much