1304 The Harbinger (The 13th Floor) Read Online Free Page A

place.
    She met Sam in the opulent lobby of Suntech & Windergy. And when she held on longer than usual as they embraced, he asked if everything was okay with her sister.
    Having forgotten her lie, Meira let out a soft groan. Her sisters would hear of the challenge and be there tonight. It was torture enough that she would lose Sam, but to have the other harpies witness her rejection by a mortal man was the stinking cherry on top of the mud pie.
    Should she tell him the truth? Have him reject her now so no one else would have to witness it? No, she was selfish. She needed this one last meal with him.
    So Meira continued to lie. It wasn’t difficult, even though part of her thought it should be.
    Traffic was horrendous. The police and fire departments were busy this night. Carmine was usually lively on weekend nights, but not quite like this.
    Sam was sweet and concerned about her. She tried to lighten the mood, but it was difficult to laugh. She hardly ate and drank an extra glass of wine. Her skirt was more flirty than she was.
    “It’s okay if you’re worried about your sister. She’s your family, after all. We can go back to my place and just spend some quiet time in.” Sam’s thumb stroked over the back of her hand. Strong and comforting.
    “No. No, we’ll stay a while longer. I’m all right, really.” Meira didn’t try to be convincing. She swirled her wine in the glass with her free hand. “It’s not my sister that’s bothering me. It’s the situation. A life-changing moment. Everything is going to be different. For her. She could lose everything. The thought of that happening is a bit overwhelming.”
    Sam smiled, all soft. No hard edges. No one else gave her a smile like that. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “It can be overwhelming, but sometimes these things work out better than expected. You know, if we’re moving too fast for you, if you aren’t ready to—”
    Meira was out of her chair and leaning across the table in the blink of an eye. She kissed him. Nowhere near as soft as the one he grazed her hand with. She wasn’t going to tell him she loved him. Not with what was to come. But she put everything into that kiss.
    When she finally sat back in her chair, they were both breathless and the sizzle went all the way down to her Valentinos.
    “We’re not moving slow. We’re savoring one another.” She gazed at him through her long lashes. A small smile quirking up her mouth. There was a hint of her lipstick on his mouth, but she didn’t move to wipe it off. She liked her mark on him.
    A scream from outside shattered the beauty of the moment.
    No. Meira didn’t want her last meal with Sam to be over yet. But she didn’t need to look at the clock to know the time. This was it.
    Another shriek followed the first. Closer and full of terror.
    “Stay here.” Sam gestured to her and ran to the front of the restaurant.
    Taking a deep breath, Meira stood and ran her hands over her hips to smooth her skirt. She slipped out of her shoes and felt her heart break a little more. While her world was falling apart, someone was going to have a great night finding these beautiful heels.
    Sam disappeared out the front door, and she followed. Her head drooped farther with each step. There was a crash and more screams. Someone fired a gun. People cried in response inside the restaurant as they hid in the back or under tables.
    As Meira opened the door, a man yelled at her to get back inside and hide somewhere. She kept walking.
    A couple ran by the front of the restaurant. The woman wailed, and the man had pissed himself. From her left, there was another gunshot and then a warbling cry cut off before it could reach its crescendo.
    It was warmer outside than it should’ve been. Maybe because a shop was on fire across the street. The smell of the fire was growing, but there was something else beneath it. Something that spoke of great violence. Meira hated being familiar with the scent of