An Ugly Duckling (Afterlife Book 9) Read online

  Contents

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  About the Author

  ONE

  A pretty news reporter stood out in the rain pouring down in the Vegas streets, an umbrella held in one hand, and a microphone in the other. "As you can see, it is still raining. This is day ten, folks, and I want to urge caution if you leave your homes.

  "Streets are flooded," she said. "The Hoover Dam is overflowing for the first time since the eighties, and the city is in a state of emergency. Houses are flooding, or worse, collapsing and leaving rubble and mess. Many businesses have closed their doors due to extensive water damage, and there have been several power outages and even reports of live wires in the streets.

  "People are dying out here," she said, her voice serious. "When the rains started, we were all excited but now at least a hundred people have died and we expect even more casualties in the upcoming days if the rain doesn't let up.

  "So stay inside," she cautioned. "Stay dry. Stay alive. I want to emphasize: the city is in a state of emergency. Keep safe folks. Alicia Sterling, Channel Four News."

  Alec Morodan clicked off the television. "Well, you heard her, everyone. We're going to have to close Afterlife until this is over."

  Everyone groaned.

  "I'm sorry," he said. "But we're not getting hardly anyone in the doors anyway. There's no point in staying open right now."

  Sarah Carter looked especially disappointed. "My sister will be here soon," she said. "I wanted to show her the club. I can't tell her what we do, so she thinks I own a nightclub. I can't very well let her see it if it's closed down."

  "That's not the only thing you do," Chloe McAllister said sympathetically. "You work with women. You can introduce her to some of them. You also signed up for school."

  "Well, I'm worried I'll just be thinking of other things that I needed to be doing. Like those goblins that returned," Sarah said.

  "Don't worry about that," Brittney Conley said. "I have the goblins under control. I went down with Peter and we told them that if they start stealing again, we'll come and blow their kneecaps off. They've promised not to steal from Vegas."

  "You involved Peter?" Alec asked. He sounded irritated. "I told you not to involve him."

  "He's got to have something to do," Harper Hawthorne interjected. "He's bored. Without school, he just sits in our house all day and watches TV."

  Brittney smirked and made air quotes with her fingers. "TV."

  Conner Kingsley groaned. "I don't want to think about your brother like that, Brittney."

  "Oh, he probably is keeping up on soap operas," Brittney said with a sigh. "He's very depressed. My parents took away all his things. I had to buy him a new laptop. And since I had to use my company card for that, I figured he might as well earn it. Trust me, he wasn't too pleased with going down in the sewers."

  Harper laughed.

  Alec rolled his eyes. "Back to the situation at hand. We have to shut Afterlife down until this rain ends. Sarah, I'm sorry. You can still bring your sister around and show her the place. She just won't see it packed."

  "That's the whole point!" Sarah said.

  "Well, she wouldn't see it packed even if it was open," Conner said fairly. "Nobody's coming. Everyone's too scared to drive in this weather."

  "I can't blame them," Chloe said. "It's terrible. And it's terrible for my hair. Look..." She spun in a circle, showing off her hair, which was finally starting to grow longer. It was somewhat frizzy. "The humidity is terrible right now."

  "I'm so glad that's your worry," Alec said dryly. "What we need to figure out is where the rain is coming from. What's causing it."

  Harper said. "The weather is abnormal, Alec. That doesn't mean that it's supernatural. This has happened before."

  "Not since the eighties."

  "I'm with Harper," Conner said. "We have a lot of other things to worry about than a little rain. I heard there's something big in the works. Don't have any more information than that, just that something is going to go down."

  "Great," Sarah said with a sigh. "Just what I need. Now remember, my sister doesn't know anything about this and we're keeping it that way. Alec, I can still use your apartment?"

  "Yes," Alec said, tossing her the keys. "I've cleared out anything that might be a tip off. I'll be using your place, and you'll be using mine. Make sure you don't mess anything up, though, alright? I just got the place clean again."

  In a state of anger, he'd destroyed a lot of his possessions. Over the last ten days, he'd been replacing them and making his apartment presentable again. Sarah had asked if they could switch while her sister was in town because her house wasn't big enough for Elizabeth, her boyfriend Jeff, and Sarah. Alec had considered refusing, but he had decided it wasn't a big deal.

  Ever since he'd decided to let Harper go have a happy life with someone else -- with Conner, specifically -- he'd been a lot happier. It was easier to deal with things once he'd accepted them. So Sarah would be using his apartment. He was just glad it was her and not Chloe. Chloe wasn't known for being neat and tidy exactly.

  "So this something big," Chloe said. "You don't know anything else about it. We should be looking into that. We don't want to get surprised. I'll hit the gym with Sarah and see if we can hear anything."

  Everyone stared at her. Alec knew how much Chloe hated the gym. "Really?"

  "I've decided I need to be more in shape," Chloe said. "Is that a problem?"

  "No," Alec said. "Just a surprise. Alright, you do that. Conner, keep your ear underground. See what you can find out. The rest of you... well, Sarah, enjoy your sister's visit. Brittney, Harper, you two should probably check in with Eklund, and make sure that he doesn't have any jobs for you."

  Brittney and Harper both groaned. Special Agent Stephen Eklund was their FBI handler. He gave credence to their credentials in exchange for them occasionally doing odd jobs for him. The last time they'd had any real interaction, he'd made sure they were assigned to taking down a wing of Trinity, a gang in the Las Vegas area.

  "I know," Alec said sympathetically. "But with those two detectives sniffing around, we want to make sure you two look good."

  "Right," Harper and Brittney both agreed.

  "Now, I'm going to Sarah's to get set up and get some sleep," Alec said. "You kids be good, alright? Stay out of the rain."

  TWO

  Conner took Harper's hand. "No peeking," he said. Her eyes were closed, and she was allowing him to lead her to an unknown destination.

  "I don't like this," she said. "I don't like surprises, Conner. Come on now, let me open my eyes."

  "Not yet," Conner said. "We're almost there. You'll like this surprise, alright? Just trust me, Harper. You can do that, right?"

  He grinned. Since they'd gotten back together, their relationship had been wonderful. They'd been on two dates, and Harper had slept over twice. She seemed to be genuinely interested in him now, unlike the first time they'd tried dating. He wanted everything tonight to go perfectly.

  "Sure," Harper said. He thought he could see her rolling her eyes underneath her closed lids. "Whatever you say."

  "That's what I thought," Conner said. He led her through a door, and into the center of the room. "Okay," he said, "You can open your eyes now."

  Harper opened her eyes and let out a gasp. They were in Afterlife, on the dance floor, but it was completely cleared out. There wasn't a single other person there. In the center of the dance floor was a table with two chairs. There were roses everywhere, and candles that lit the place instead of the usual neon lights. It was beautiful.

  "Happy birthday," Conner said, smiling. "What do you think?"

  "I think it's beautiful," Harper said. "You did all this? The roses, the candles, everything? I didn't know you were so romantic, Conner. And how did you know it was my birthday?"

  Conner kissed her. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out the birthday of my girlfriend? I asked Brittney, obviously. I also asked her what your favorite foods are, so sit down. Let me serve you."

  Harper sat down at the table and waited, her eyes wide as she looked around. She couldn't believe Conner had gone through all this trouble just for her. She'd thought everyone had forgotten her birthday, Brittney included. They usually celebrated the morning with mimosas and shopping, but Brittney had stayed the night at Chloe's and hadn't been back that morning.

  Conner brought out a plate of nachos. It was small. "This is just the start," he said. "We have spaghetti following it, and then lasagna."

  "You cooked for me," Harper said.

  "Well, I remember how much you liked it when Alec was cooking for you when you stayed with him," Conner said. "And I know you don't like to cook, and with Brittney staying with Chloe so much... well, you live off frozen o
r fast food. Can't have that. You're too skinny as it is. So eat up."

  Harper laughed. "I'm not too skinny," she said.

  "No," he agreed. "You're perfect."

  He sat down with her and the two of them began eating the nachos. Conner was glad to see the way her face lit up when she tried them. He wasn't as good of a cook as Alec; how could he be? Alec had over a hundred years of practice. But he was still fairly decent, or so he liked to think.

  "I wanted to tell you that I'm really happy we're together again," Conner said as they ate. "I really missed you, Harper. And I really like you."

  "I like you too," Harper said. "And I'm glad we're together too, Conner. Really. I think we have a good future ahead of us."

  "Me too," Conner said. "I wanted to do a picnic, because Brittney said you loved picnics, but the rain..."

  "Yeah," Harper said. She finished her nachos, and Conner brought out the next dish of spaghetti. He'd made the meatballs himself. "Do you think Alec's right? Do you think the rain is supernatural?"

  "No," Conner said immediately. He'd given it a lot of thought. "What would be the point? It would drive all the demons above ground, and we know that they don't want that. I think we just got unlucky with the weather."

  "Me too," Harper said.

  "I'm glad we agree," Conner said. "Now when are you meeting Eklund?"

  "I don't think we're actually meeting with him," Harper said. "I think we're just meeting with Detective Moore and seeing what he has for us. I know Brittney isn't too excited by it. She was hoping we'd get more of a break after the forest."

  "It's been a couple weeks," Conner said. "We can't stay stagnant forever."

  "No," Harper agreed. "These meatballs are really good, Conner. But yeah, I agree. But it's not like she's been doing nothing. Her and Peter took down the goblin problem."

  "That's true," Conner said. "I'm glad for it too. I didn't want to go back to the sewers. Though we're going to have a problem with the rain. The goblins are going to have to come above ground."

  "I know," Harper said. She sighed. "We're going to have a huge problem with all the demons coming up. Can't they just stay in that casino you visit? What's it called? The San Fransisco?"

  Conner shook his head. "It's flooded," he said. "They're going to have to shut it down."

  Harper winced.

  "Well, now that you've finished your spaghetti, it's time for the final course," Conner said. "Wait here."

  Harper nodded. She was already full, but she wasn't going to turn down a plate of lasagna. It was her most favorite food. Of course Conner would know that. He was very attentive. She couldn't believe he'd gone through all of the trouble.

  Conner was gone for awhile. She was starting to worry when the door opened. He came in, holding the lasagna, but he wasn't alone. The rest of Afterlife was with him. Everyone was grinning.

  "Surprise!"

  Everyone but Brittney was holding presents. Brittney was carrying a few bottles of champagne and some orange juice containers. Conner was carrying glasses. Harper felt overwhelmed.

  The presents were put on the stage, and Brittney brought over the stuff for mimosas. "Did you really think I'd forgotten?"

  "Well..."

  "Harper," Brittney said. "We've been friends since we were little kids. I would never forget your birthday."

  Harper laughed. "Thanks guys. This means a lot."

  Alec grinned at her. "You're part of Afterlife. That means something to us. The day that you joined us was an important day for us. Thank you for joining us, Harper."

  "You're welcome," Harper said, touched. The others added their own sentiments. When they were done talking, they all ate lasagna, and then Sarah brought out a birthday cake. They ate this while drinking mimosas and playing twenty questions. Then Alec and Conner sang a happy birthday song in Russian, and Harper felt tears sting her eyes.

  Conner came to her afterward and kissed her again. Everyone, including Alec, applauded. When it was over, he whispered, "Come over tonight. Your birthday isn't over yet..."

  "Enough," Harper said quickly, blushing red. "I'll be there. Come on, it's time to open presents."

  "I'll give you a present to--"

  Harper elbowed Conner sharply, stepped away, and up to the stage. She shook her head at the pile of presents. "You guys really shouldn't have."

  "But we did," Chloe chirped out. "So open them! You know what, open mine first, it's the best."

  Harper laughed. She found the small package from Chloe and unwrapped it. It was a silver bracelet. "Chloe, it's beautiful."

  Chloe smiled.

  Harper unwrapped the rest of the gifts, which included a new purse from Sarah, a beautiful red scarf from Conner, and a set of keys from Brittney. She stared at the keys for a moment and then looked up at her best friend, eyebrows raised.

  "I knew you would never get around to replacing your car," Brittney said. "So I did it for you. Wait till you see it. It's a beautiful space gray convertible. You'll love it."

  "You bought me a convertible," Harper said.

  Brittney shrugged. "It's more of a gift from all of us. We picked it out together."

  Everyone nodded.

  "Thanks guys," Harper said. "I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to make up for that kind of gift..." she picked up the last one on the stage and unwrapped it. It was a handmade photo album.

  She flipped through the pages, frowning. It was full of photographs of people she didn't recognize. She looked over at Alec curiously. "What is this?"

  "Your family," Alec said. "Your biological family, I mean. I told you, I watched Ileana's family as they grew, and I thought you might like to know them a little too."

  Conner could have happily punched Alec. It was the perfect gift, and something he never would have thought of. Then he swallowed down his bitterness and enjoyed the way Harper's eyes lit up as she looked through the pictures a second time.

  "Thank you, Alec," she said. "This... I'll treasure this."

  "You do that," he said. "Now, come on guys, let's leave these two alone. Give them some privacy." He nodded at Conner and Harper.

  Conner flashed him a grateful smile. "We're actually headed back to my house. Come on, Harper. We'll take your car."

  THREE

  The next morning, Brittney woke to the sound of pounding on the front door. She stumbled out of bed and looked in the mirror. She looked like crap, which was a way she hated to look. Her hair was a mess, she hadn't showered the night before so her makeup was smeared, and she'd fallen asleep in her tank-top and shorts.

  After Conner and Harper had gone back to his house, she'd stayed with the others to finish off the mimosas. She had considered going home with Chloe, but she knew she needed to check on her brother Peter, and Ash, her chocolate lab puppy. So she'd called a cab and gone home.

  The pounding continued. Brittney thought about ignoring it, and then it stopped. She heard voices, and realized that her brother must have answered the door. Considering the fact that everyone knew that she and Harper lived there -- police, demons, and humans who needed help -- she knew she needed to get out there.

  But since Peter was there, she could at least take some time to get ready. She washed her face, combed out her hair, and slipped on a dress. It took her less than five minutes: she was used to getting ready in a hurry. She quickly applied some eyeliner, some mascara, and lipstick. Then she tied up her hair, and ran out to the living room.

  When she got there, she frowned. Detectives George Grady and Marcia Livingston were sitting in her living room with Peter. He'd given them both a diet soda from the fridge and was sitting in her favorite stuffed chair.

  "Ah, Agent Conley," Marcia said, standing up. "We were hoping to talk to you. So glad you're home. Your brother has been very hospitable. Is your partner here? Agent Hawthorne?"

  Brittney went to the empty couch and sat down. "No. She stayed over the night somewhere else. How can I help you? You've harassed my family enough, and now you show up at my place at... what time is it?"

  "Eleven," George said, amused.

  Brittney cringed. Peter got up and fetched her a glass of water. She shot him a smile and than turned back to the detectives. "You'll have to excuse me then. It was a late night last night. We were celebrating."

  "Your partner's birthday, right?" George said. "Harper Hawthorne, twenty-five. Quite a big party, I bet."