Night Terrors: Savage Species, Book 1 Read Online Free

nursery windows.
    “You got good lungs, kiddo,” she said and hurried to the crib. Jake’s blue eyes—her eyes—flitted to her, and her heart ached a little at the tear streaks on his temples, the scarlet hue of his face. Cradling him, she whispered, “Mommy’s sorry, Jakers. Mommy’s sorry.”
    He quieted down after a few moments of rocking, so she shut off the baby monitor—who needed a monitor anyway when the kid had a voice like a fire truck siren?—and lugged her six-month-old down the curved staircase. She reached the landing and heard Eric and Melanie talking in the kitchen. When she and Jake came in, Eric said, “Hey, Junior.”
    Hasn’t noticed the purple-green horror , Charly thought. He also didn’t attempt to hold his son, but that was nothing new.
    “Aww,” Melanie said to Eric, “he looks just like you.”
    The hell he does , Charly thought. My blue eyes, my nose. Maybe he has Eric’s chin, but even that’s debatable .
    “He’s even more adorable than you said,” Melanie cooed.
    Did he happen to mention his daughters? Charly nearly asked.
    “Oh, Mrs. Florence, you must be so proud.”
    Charly suppressed a sneer. Mrs. Florence. Thanks a lot for aging me, you little tart.
    “I am very proud, Melanie. And please call me Charly.”
    Eric had his iPhone out, texting someone. Probably a recruit or one of his current players. Charly couldn’t reach him if her life depended on it, but his basketball players…
    “Goddamned reception,” Eric muttered. “I get a decent signal out here maybe once a month.”
    Melanie smiled at Charly. “Your new house is beautiful.”
    “Better than that shack we lived in before,” Eric said without looking up.
    “You mean my childhood home,” Charly said.
    For the first time, Eric seemed to notice she was in the room. His expression indicated she’d be better off in another part of the house.
    “Charly’s sentimental,” Eric explained. “She won’t get rid of anything that belonged to her parents.”
    Melanie’s perfectly plucked eyebrows formed an inverted V. “Your folks aren’t living?”
    “Would you like something to drink?” Charly shifted Jake to the arm that hadn’t fallen asleep and opened the fridge. “We have Coke, juice, water—”
    “I’m fine, Mrs. Florence.”
    “Oh,” Charly said, “I forgot to ask. Where’s your car?”
    “Had a flat,” Eric said. “Thank God Melanie was still at the gym.”
    “Don’t you have a spare?”
    Eric shrugged, eyes on his phone. “One of the custodians can change it for me tomorrow.”
    Charly turned away so he wouldn’t see her expression.
    “You decide about that new zone offense?” Melanie asked.
    “Don’t like it,” Eric said. “That skip pass is dangerous.”
    “Your daughters are downstairs,” Charly said. “In case you wanted to interact with them.”
    Eric and Melanie both turned and watched her. After a long moment, Melanie picked her keys up and said, “I better get going, Flo. Thanks for the hospitality, Mrs. Florence.”
    Charly eyed the tall girl a moment. She couldn’t tell whether the tone had been ironic or not, but Melanie Macomber was indeed a stunner. Six feet tall, dark brown hair that reached halfway down her sculpted back, cheeks speckled with just the right number of freckles. The girl’s eyelashes looked like they belonged to some animated princess.
    Charly put on what she hoped was a sweet smile. “Please come over for dinner sometime.”
    Melanie nodded noncommittally, gave Eric a smile and went out.
    When the front door closed, Eric said, “Feeling threatened?”
    Charly opened the fridge and lifted out the ground beef. “Speaking of feeling threatened, Sam Bledsoe called.”
    Eric grunted. “Bet you liked that.”
    Jake seized a handful of her hair, yanked. Teeth bared, she gently pried open his iron grip. “He’ll be here any minute to check on the construction next door. He said you could talk to him then.”
    “Nice of him to fit me