In the Dark Read Online Free PDF Page B

we, the FBI? Damian can’t seriously be expecting us to do this on our own, can he? There’s gotta be someone else he could call.”
    â€œGhostbusters?” Marc teased. He shook his head. “Beats me. I guess there has to be something we can do to help.”
    â€œLike?”
    â€œI dunno—things! Ask questions? Snoop around? Hell, Jules, you know Damian—I’m sure he’s got some devious plan in mind.”
    Â 
    Devious? Was that another dig? Julie frowned at her brother, but before she could open her mouth to call him on his choice of words, she was startled by a knock on the door that led out into the hall. “Who is it?” she called.
    â€œIt’s Armand. Just checking that you have everything you need. May I come in?”
    What now? Julie’s gaze flew to Marc’s face, but he was already on his feet, silently retracing his steps across the room. “Go,” he mouthed silently. “Answer the door. Find out what he wants. Ask questions.”
    Ask questions? Julie stared in consternation as her brother slipped back into the bathroom, leaving the door behind him ajar. What kind of questions? Questions about what? She stared irresolutely after Marc—not missing the point of the open door. So, he thought he could just listen in on her private conversations now, did he? She couldn’t decide whether that made her feel safe or merely spied upon. Eavesdropper .
    She was tempted to close the door on him, and lock it as well, before letting Armand in. It would freak Marc out if she did something like that, and serve him right to boot. But how smart would it be? Considering Conrad was missing and Damian didn’t know who to suspect, it was probably not very smart at all. So, in the end, she left things as they were, plastered her brightest, most unconcerned expression on her face and went to answer the door.
    â€œHey there, Armand,” she said, pulling the door to the hallway open just as he’d raised his hand to knock again. “Whazzup?”
    He looked startled for an instant. An odd half-smile flickered to life on his lips. His too-intense eyes swept her face, taking inventory of her every feature. For far too long.
    â€œSee something you like?” she inquired, when she could think of nothing else to say.
    â€œYes,” he replied, still staring. He colored abruptly and dropped his gaze. “Sorry. You caught me by surprise. When you answered the door just now, you sounded…so young.”
    She sighed, having heard it all before. “Yeah, well, I’m not really as young as I look.” Then it was her turn to blush when his smile turned mocking.
    â€œ Ah, mais oui . That goes without saying. Who of us is, eh?”
    â€œRight.” Julie nodded. “What was I thinking?” House full of vampires. No one’s as young as they seem. Gotta remember that. It shouldn’t be so hard, really. After all, when had she not lived in a house full of vampires? But that was different. That was Marc and Conrad and Damian. It struck her, suddenly, that the only people she’d ever been able to open her heart and explain her deepest thoughts to, were the very people who’d never needed the explanation in the first place. Because they already knew everything there was to know about her.
    Now that she thought about it, it kinda sucked. And, apparently, it showed on her face.
    â€œWhy so sad?” Armand asked softly. “Has something upset you?” His expression veered between curiosity and concern as he glided closer.
    â€œOf course not.” Forcing another smile, Julie backed into the room a step, relinquishing her grip on the doorknob in the process. “It’s nothing. So…um…what did you say you were here for again?” With nothing else to hold onto, she crossed her arms and held herself.
    Armand shrugged. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just wanted to be sure you have