Charming (Exiled Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

he nodded at the suitcase. She retrieved the suitcase, rolled it to the designated room and stepped in. A couple of seconds later he heard the door close.
     
     
    The first thing Ana looked for was a lock on the door. There was none. Any person who has spent any amount of time homeless appreciates the value of privacy. And locks.
    She looked around the room. It was about as minimal as minimal gets. Bed. Closet. Window. Dresser by the bed with a lamp. Even the bedding looked more military than anything. Plain white sheets and a gray wool blanket.
    Still. She was safe. At least she was safe from Ernesto.
    She was pretty sure the whole experience with that woman would have been beyond terrifying if she hadn’t already been running for her life. She laid down on top of the blanket and was asleep before she’d had the chance to register that the wool made her skin feel itchy.
     
    Charming sat down at his kitchen table and, more or less, slumped in the chair. He had a human who clearly didn’t want to be there staying in his home and no way to reach Rosie. As if his life wasn’t already enough of a mess, what with people always wanting something from him.
    He made a hundred decisions a day without enough time to really consider the logical ramifications of any of them. His choices affected the lives of so many people. Sometimes he thought he might bend under the strain and not be able to get up again. This latest wrinkle, a belligerent guest who seemed to tickle the fancy of his cock, was all he needed, the last proverbial straw.
    Before Rosie’s interruption, his intention had been to take a shower, change into clean clothes, and go downstairs for a nice dinner, a tankard of full-bodied ale, and some carefree conversation with friends. He decided to proceed with his plans, but left a note giving directions to the pub in case she came out and was hungry.
     
    When Ana woke up, the room was dark except for lights filtering in from the city. When she turned over, she realized the wool blanket was scratchy, but she’d been so tired it didn’t wake her. She raised a hand to her cheek, smoothing the burn. She was also hungry, even though she’d feasted on steak and French fries earlier in the day.
    She cracked the bedroom door open and listened for some indication of whether or not she was alone. Nothing but silence. So she ventured out to the open living space, which was huge like a loft, but sparse with not much in the way of furnishings. Looking around she thought to herself that she didn’t know why Charming was worried about theft. He had absolutely nothing worth stealing.
    Her eyes fell on the note and, even though the writing symbols were strange, she found that she could read it.
    “If you get hungry, go downstairs to street level and turn left. Half a block down you’ll come to A Far Scar. Go to the bar, ask for Scar, tell him you’re Ana and he’ll feed you.”
    Since he didn’t leave a key, she wondered how she was supposed to lock up. Looking around again, she was reminded that there was nothing worth stealing except maybe the stuff she’d brought with her in the suitcase.
    She made it to the front door of the building without encountering another soul, but when she stepped out on the street, she saw that it was lively with pedestrian traffic. There was no doubt that she left the familiarity of her own world behind. The buildings were alien in shape and, instead of blacks, grays, and mauve tones, the colors tended to be ivory, gold, and blue.
    The clothes she was wearing were different from what she saw on the street. The taller women wore form fitting long sleeve tees with colorful print wraparound skirts and lace-up boots. The women who were more her size wore clothing of such a variety that she didn’t feel conspicuously out of place.
    As instructed, she turned left and walked along the sidewalk until she came to A Far Scar. There was music coming from inside. It wasn’t very much like the pop she was