Golden Anidae (A Blushing Death Novel) Read Online Free Page A

head with ideas. I took another look around the living room as Enza dialed 9-1-1. “Tell the dispatcher there’s blood,” I added.
    Enza’s jaw trembled as she recited the address and told the person on the other end of the phone what I’d said.
    I knelt in-between the debris in the living room and evaluated the sliced cushion’s fabric. Glancing over my shoulder to the entertainment center, I searched the room. All of the electronics were still there, the Blu-ray, the giant flatscreen TV, and her iPod were all still plugged in and ready to go. Soraida hadn’t been robbed. So, what were they looking for?
    Enza dropped the phone, her heavy exhale of breath filled my sensitive ears as she waited outside. Slumping on the front stoop, she cradled her head in her hands with her elbows resting on her knees. Her slim shoulders shook as she cried silent tears.
    I strode out of the house into the sunshine and sat down beside her. Slipping my arm around her, I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. I understood what she felt, the dread of not knowing and I didn’t want to tell her that sometimes knowing was worse.
    She turned into my embrace and wrapped her arms around my middle. She squeezed me tight as if I was the last thing she had to hold on to. I almost laughed to myself as she clung to me.
    Once I’d been uncomfortable with physical contact. Jade had even made a point to sneak up behind me and hug me just because she knew it bothered me. Jade wasn’t able to sneak up on me anymore which had taken all the fun out of it for her. But since Amblan’s and Danny’s deaths, I’d give anything to have both of them back, even if for only a moment, to hug them and tell them how much I loved and missed them. I wasn’t uncomfortable with a hug anymore.
    “Shh,” I said.
    “What happened to her?” Enza asked, blubbering into my shoulder.
    “We don’t know that anything happened to her yet,” I said in a soft, placating tone. “She could have hurt herself and may already be at the hospital.”
    Enza stopped crying and was quiet for a moment. She turned red, grief-stricken eyes up to me.
    “You don’t believe that, do you?” she asked.
    I wanted to tell her that I did believe it, that Soraida was probably fine and we were both over reacting. I didn’t, however, want to tell her that the blood was fresh and if Soraida had already called for help, there would be police tape everywhere. I also couldn’t tell her about the faint smell of death and the strong smell of vampire that lingered in the stale air of the house. I had the very distinct feeling that Soraida was beyond Enza’s reach. Soraida, however, was most definitely not out of mine.
    I tucked her head back against my shoulder and stroked her hair as Patrick had once done to me. I whispered the only reassurance I could give her, “We’ll find her.” I hugged Enza just a little tighter as I heard the sirens in the distance. “I promise. We’ll find her.”
    The uniformed police officers had called in the crime scene techs once they’d seen the blood. They ushered Enza and I to the curb and taped off the house. At first, the questions were easy and no pressure. After a while, the tone changed and it was clear to me that they were wasting time with us.
    “How do you know Ms. Ramirez?” the uniform asked.
    “She’s my best friend,” Enza answered, her voice just a hair higher than normal and quaking with each syllable.
    “When was the last time you saw Ms. Ramirez?” the uniformed officer followed, jotting down something in his notepad.
    “Last night at the Voodoo Lounge,” Enza said. Another tear trailed down her bronze cheek.
    “What time was that?”
    “Around 2 a.m., I think,” Enza answered. This was the second uniform we’d spoken to since they’d arrived in a blaze of flashing lights and blaring sirens like cowboys on the range, riding to the rescue. Enza had lost her patience an hour ago. I had definitely lost mine. “We’ve been