Darkness Descending Read Online Free PDF Page B

distance from the memories. “Guess again.” She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, rubbing hard. “I’ve been living with this monstrous thing inside me longer than I care to remember.”
    Maddox immediately shook his head. “That’s impossible. You’re human.”
    Her hands dropped. A harsh laugh escaped. “You don’t believe me, I know. Sometimes I don’t, either.” An unintended smile tugged at her lips. “Underneath my clothes, I look diseased.” She winced. “Trust me when I say it isn’t pretty.”
    Maddox shifted his probing gaze over her lean frame. He couldn’t help but notice the beauty lurking beneath her bedraggled appearance. Almond-shaped eyes peeked out from beneath a tangled mess of hair so silvery it looked almost white. Her irises were also pale, sometimes appearing to be light blue; at other angles a darker gray. In an attempt to keep her tresses under control, she’d hacked her hair at random, making the style ragged. She obviously wasn’t comfortable with her body, most of which she kept hidden by wearing clothes at least two sizes too big. As though attempting to become invisible, she kept herself covered from neck to feet. Cleaned up and dressed right, she’d be a stunning young woman.
    Taking a breath to clear his head, he forced his mind back to the subject at hand. He had to admit she’d piqued his curiosity. She was the only one of her kind he’d ever encountered. Even if humans didn’t fully cross over to become full vampires, they simply died of the infection within days. They were lucky to retain even a semblance of humanity before death dealt its final, merciful blow.
    “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see it.”
    Jesse folded her arms across her chest, an unconscious gesture that said she didn’t welcome the idea. “That’s the way people are, always gaping at the freaks.” Her expression was shadowed with self-loathing. “You’re a big, bad demon killer. Why don’t you just pull the trigger on me and be done with it?”
    Recognizing her fragility, Maddox backed off. “I’m trying to understand—”
    Jesse bristled and cut him off. “No one understands,” she bit off. “There’s no one else like me.”
    He allowed a brief nod. “But you’re not the first who’s been attacked. If there’s any way to help you, I will try.”
    “There is no help for the hopeless.” She ran a hand through her dirty hair. “I should go.”
    He shook his head. “Walk out of here and I guarantee my men won’t let you get down the block alive. They hate the demon-possessed. They’re trained to kill them.”
    Jesse stood up abruptly. “I should’ve known you were bad news.” She took a step back, and then a second—but not a third.
    Hesitation tipped her hand. Despite her tough talk and attitude, Maddox suspected she had no place else to go. The instinct to flee clearly warred with her desire for a safe haven.
    He decided to lay everything on the line. It was probably a fool’s gamble to keep her alive, but Maddox felt it worth taking. “If you stay here with me, I can protect you. But you have to be straight with me. No secrets and no lies.” That was the best offer he could make. The next move was hers.
    Jesse’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Really? You’d do that?”
    He nodded. For a moment she reminded him of an abused puppy, injured but eager for a few crumbs of kindness. “You have my word. As long as you’re with me, my people won’t harm you.”
    Relief lightened her features. The stress of running, of living on the edge of society to stay alive, had unmistakably left her psyche battered. She was worn out, mentally and physically.
    “I’ll show you,” she finally agreed. “Just don’t freak out, okay?” As she spoke, she fumbled with the buttons. The denim jacket she wore, which was at least two sizes too large, looked as though she rarely took it off. Patched, faded, and filthy, it was nothing anyone would want.
    She lifted a hand