Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel by Becca Blake (english novels to improve english .txt) 📕

“Apparently,” Jacob said, dragging out the word, “our main mission in Omaha was supposed to be getting to know each other, but that didn’t end up happening. So, he wants us to be roommates for the next week or so.”

I scoffed. “Seriously?”

“I’m not any happier about it than you are. Trust me.”

“Fine. We’ll stay at my place.” I crossed my arms, bracing myself for his protest. The last thing I wanted was to stay in the same house as Marcus Thorne. I wouldn’t budge on this, no matter how much Jacob complained.

“Okay.” He pushed past me and continued down the stairs. “I have to stop at home to get a few things, though.”

Okay?

I was so stunned by the lack of an argument that it took me a minute before I followed him out. I’d been expecting him to argue, if not flat out refuse. He was used to living in one of the massive homes that belonged to the Council members. My house was a small two bedroom I shared with my dad, and I was sure he’d find that as trashy as my car.

Once I joined the academy, I could have moved into my own apartment. But Dad and I got along well enough that neither of us minded sharing the space, and the house had been in our family for generations. I didn’t see the point in leaving it.

Not to mention the fact that I didn’t want to leave him by himself. Losing Mom changed him. Even if we weren’t always home at the same time, I figured it was good for him to know he wasn’t living there alone.

Instead of turning toward the end of town with the Council members’ homes, though, Jacob started in the direction of the apartment complex.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

He frowned. “I told you—I have to stop at my place. You don’t have to come along.”

“Aren’t the Council homes over that way?” I asked, pointing my thumb over my shoulder.

“Yeah. But I don’t live there.” He spun around and continued walking to make it clear the conversation was over.

Jacob’s apartment building was across the street from Ayla’s old place. Aside from those of us who had families with long histories as Arbiters, most of the town’s residents lived in the dozens of buildings in this complex. Regular maintenance was often neglected in the small, dingy apartments, but considering how much time we spent on the road in crappy motels in worse conditions, most folks who lived in them didn’t mind too much.

Still, it shocked me that Jacob would choose one of them over a mansion. Especially after how appalled he’d been by my car.

“Home sweet home,” he muttered as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. His apartment was a tiny studio, with just enough room for a bed, a couch, and a TV stand. He didn’t even have a dining table to eat on.

I could see why he hadn’t argued with me about where to stay. Neither of us would have had any privacy crammed in his studio for a week.

While he packed his bag, I sat down. “I wasn’t expecting you to have your own place.”

“It’s better than the alternative,” he said. “I moved out as soon as I turned eighteen and joined the academy.”

I spun around and crossed my arms on the back of the couch. “But you kept the nice car?”

He shrugged. “Wouldn’t you?”

“I guess.” I turned back around and relaxed on the couch, staring at the cracks on Jacob’s ceiling. He hadn’t struck me as the independent type, but maybe I’d misjudged him. He seemed so set on following in his dad’s footsteps and joining the Council that I never considered the two of them might not get along.

Then again, I remembered how coldly Marcus had looked at Jacob the day of his evaluation, when he nearly died. I couldn’t imagine my dad sitting there and watching calmly while a hellhound tore me apart, no matter what the rules said.

As much as I hated that Orion was forcing us together like this, I had to admit that he was right about us needing to talk more. Jacob and I knew almost nothing about each other, and we hadn’t given each other much of a chance so far.

Maybe living together for a week would change that.

Or maybe we’d just end up hating each other worse.

Chapter Eight

If I’d been hoping for a heart-to-heart that fixed all the problems Jacob and I had with each other, arriving at my house brought me crashing back to reality. Whatever understanding we reached back at his apartment seemed to have disappeared, and he seemed content for us to go back to ignoring each other.

That was fine with me. I was too too tired to deal with the emotional labor, anyway.

I made a hasty retreat to my room after helping him get comfortable on the couch with a blanket and the remote. The sounds of groaning zombies on TV followed me upstairs. I shut the door behind me, tossed my bag and weapon harnesses down in the corner, and plopped down on my bed.

What a disaster.

I picked up my phone to call my dad. We always checked in with each other after jobs, and I wanted his advice. He would know what to say about the situation with Jacob.

The call went straight to his full voicemail, which meant he was probably busy on his hunt. I typed up a quick text.

Just got my ass kicked. But I’m alive. Hope you’re okay, wherever you are. Call me when you can.

I tossed the device across the bed. It couldn’t have been more than a full minute before I was unconscious.

When I woke, it was with the groggy feeling of oversleeping. I checked the time on my phone and found that my quick nap had turned into the next day.

“Crap,” I muttered.

A quick check under my bandages revealed that the scrapes on my torso had almost completely healed, despite my sleeping through Jane’s