Second Chance Read Online Free Page A

singsong voice sent a terrified chill through him. “I’m digging your grave, Jossie.”
    Joss pulled his hand back, but Cecile’s grip tightened. In a moment of sheer panic, he yanked his hand free, her claws digging bloody tunnels through his skin. As he scrambled backward in a crab walk, his voice shook. The sun was gone now, no more warmth on his skin. There was only gray and cold and Cecile crawling slowly after him. “I’m not dead! I’m not dead, Cecile! That isn’t me in the garden there.”
    His back met with the trunk of the oak tree—he had no idea he’d made it so far—and all he could do was stare at his sister as she crawled toward him with her eyes closed. “Oh, but you will be. You’ll die at the hands of a monster, Jossie. The same way you let me die.”
    He swore that she could see him, even though she wasn’t looking, not even a peek. Her clawlike nails dug into the earth. It was like she was pulling herself along the ground, making her way toward him. He stifled a scream. This was his sister. He had nothing to be afraid of. Did he?
    Her left hand met his ankle and he jumped. Her skin was cold, too cold, and felt lifeless. Her claws dug into him and she climbed her way up his leg, her smile spreading as she moved. Her teeth were dark gray, with spots of black. The sight of them made Joss quiver, but he couldn’t look away. “I’m dead, Jossie, and all because of you. And soon you’ll be dead, too.”
    She moved until her face was mere inches from his—the smell of her breath was nauseating, like rotten meat. When Joss opened his mouth to speak, his throat went dry, and his voice came out in a harsh whisper. “But why, Cecile? Why will I be dead?”
    Slowly, she reached up with one of her claw hands and petted Joss’s cheek, leaving traces of dirt and Joss’s blood behind. She tilted her head sweetly, as if somewhere inside of this creature, his young sister still existed. “Because, Jossie. Because bad boys go to hell. Especially when they send their sisters there.”
    Tears welled in Joss’s eyes. He opened his mouth again, this time to say that he was sorry for everything that he hadn’t done to rescue her the night she’d died, and for failing to avenge her death now that she was gone. But he didn’t have a chance to speak.
    Cecile opened her eyes, revealing deep, dark caverns of black that went on forever. She lunged forward then and Joss screamed—but not before he noticed two long fangs inside of her hungry mouth.

3
    BITTERSWEET REUNION
    J oss sat up from his nightmare with beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. He was thankful, at that moment, to be almost the last person still on the plane—mostly because he wasn’t certain he could handle the sidelong glances from strangers as he lost his cool. The nightmares were getting worse.
    After powering on his phone again, and ignoring another text from Kat ( I’VE DECIDED NOT TO HARM YOUR FAMILY IN ANY WAY. JUST YOU, JOSS. I’LL DO YOU THAT KINDNESS, THE WAY YOU DIDN’T FOR ME.—K ), Joss stood and stretched. He retrieved his backpack from the compartment over his seat and navigated his way down the aisle, pushing away all thoughts of Kat and her threats. She couldn’t touch him. Could she? In the end, wouldn’t the Society offer him some protection? He was one of them, after all. But then . . . maybe they expected him to be strong enough to stand up to an untrained girl. At least, he thought she was untrained. But who knew what her father, Sirus, had taught her and not told him about? Sirus was, after all, immensely talented at keeping secrets. Like the fact that he was a vampire.
    Joss forced a smile at the pretty blond flight attendant, and once she’d wished him a good day, he found his way up the ramp and into LaGuardia Airport. As Joss exited the security area, he breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been on too many flights this week, but thankfully, he sat alone this time, free of any obligation to smile