Dusk Til Dawn Read Online Free Page A

silhouette tilted its head back, rising off the floor on a blast of hot air. Pieces of wood and small ornaments flew across the room, circling the entity before crashing to the ground. Dylan shielded his face with his arm, wondering what the hell was going on when the man scattered into a swirling haze then vanished.
    Dylan forced himself to swallow, staring at the empty space, half expecting his other brother, Cal, to emerge from behind a screen, laughing and pointing at him. Though he’d asked his twin to join him in the prank on their new family member, Cal had sworn he’d had previous obligations.
    Avery sighed. “Well, that was…unexpected.”
    Dylan turned to his brother, still waiting for the obvious answer to leap forward, as he glanced around the room, his heart beating a tattoo in his chest. “Unexpected?” He took a single step forward. “That was fucking crazy! Shit. I don’t even know what that was!”
    Avery walked over to him, gently pressing on his arm until Dylan lowered it, placing his gun back in his holster.
    “Easy, Dyl. Just take a few deep breaths.”
    Dylan growled, releasing Annie as he stalked forward, searching the area where the mist had disappeared. “Don’t tell me to fucking breathe. I know how to handle myself. Shit, I didn’t spend a decade running maneuvers only to lose it when some jackass plays a prank on me. It’s Cal, isn’t it?” He spun around. “Fine, Cal. You can come out. You got me good, but the joke’s over.”
    Avery released a weary breath, glancing at Temperance before joining Dylan in the middle of the room. “I’m well aware of how highly trained you are, but this isn’t what you think it is.”
    Dylan gave Avery a smug smile. “It’s Cal. I know it. I told him I was coming here to surprise Temperance…even had him call that investigator friend of yours to ensure you’d be here. But then he bowed out. And now he’s turned the tables on me…literally.”
    Avery chuckled. “Sorry, bro, but Cal’s out east. Massachusetts, I believe. Though that explains why Roberts was so quick to give us this job. He didn’t think there was anything out here to investigate.”
    Dylan took a step closer. He had four inches and thirty pounds on his younger brother, though he hadn’t tried to intimidate the man since he’d left home. “Enough. This isn’t funny anymore.”
    Avery gave him a slap on the back. “Never said it was. Though seeing you completely out of your element is somewhat interesting, especially when I know you could kill me without breaking a sweat.”
    Dylan’s gaze darted to Annie for a moment. But if Avery’s statement frightened her, she hid it well. “That’s not what I do.”
    “Not anymore. But that doesn’t change the fact you’re a lethal weapon in your own right, which is why I find it so amusing you insist on carrying a gun. We both know you don’t need it.”
    Dylan scrubbed a hand down his face, glancing from Temperance over to Annie and back again. This wasn’t the place for that conversation. “Okay. So what’s really going on here?” He held up a finger. “And don’t tell me it’s the work of ghosts. You know I don’t believe it that shit.”
    Avery nodded. “Yes, you’ve made a point or reminding me how my life’s work is nothing more than smoke and mirrors on more than one occasion.”
    Dylan released a weary breath, spearing his hand through his hair as he looked at Temperance. She seemed more than unhappy, and he couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t meant to be a complete ass straight off the top.
    He offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply what you do isn’t…”
    “Real,” Temperance suggested.
    “Worthwhile. It’s just…damn. I must have followed Avery around over a dozen times, but I never saw or felt anything. Avery insists I put out this negative energy that drives spirits away, but…”
    He let his voice trail off. How the hell did he say that not seeing ghosts as he’d