Read Online An Impostor in Town (Colorado Series) by Denise Moncrief - Free Book Online

of raindrops. She clutched the silver cross Brian gave her for Christmas as if it was some sort of talisman to ward off evil. She had worn it every day since he gave it to her.
    She jumped to her feet when she heard a car pull into the lot below. Curiosity bettered her, and she stepped to the edge of the deck, peering down at him. Jeff emerged from his truck in no hurry. He must have sensed her presence and glanced up.
    “Hello, mother dear.” A vicious light glowed in his eyes, two barely discernable yellow orbs in the dark. He reminded her of a cat playing with his next mouse meal.
    She ignored his attempt to rattle her. It was getting old. Jeff was a man of little imagination. She marched down the walk and handed him the envelope. Without a word, she headed toward her car.
    “Wait a minute.” He rustled the bills. “There’s not enough here.”
    Her anger bolted out of her mouth. “That’s all I have.” She jammed her trembling hands into her coat pockets.
    He laughed—a horrible, perverse, demonic sort of cackling. “Are you kidding me?”
    She continued toward her vehicle. Maybe she shouldn’t turn her back on him, but she didn’t care anymore. Her fingers clutched the grip of the gun in her pocket. Was tonight the night?
    “Maybe I should have a talk with your boyfriend.” That threat was getting tiresome as well. “I mean it, Paula. I’m going straight to the sheriff.”
    She spun on her heel. “Don’t you ever give up? Your threats are useless. I can’t give you what I haven’t got to give.” She punched each word. “You’re not going to the sheriff. Don’t you know he’s looking for you? How hard was it for him to figure out you’re the one who stole his cattle?” Brian hadn’t figured it out. They hadn’t even discussed it. That was on her agenda tomorrow. She had already made up her mind. Brian would know everything in the morning. She was prepared to come clean and leave town.
    “What did you tell him?” His menace drew closer and grew more serious, more urgent, and much more malevolent. He shortened the distance between them in a split second.
    The gun was almost out of her pocket. Many times she had practiced unlocking the safety, aiming it, and pulling the trigger. There were plenty of dead soda cans in the woods around Durango. She’d killed each with a clean shot through the logo. It had scared her a little how good she was with the detestable thing. He was a bigger target. He’d be easy. “Go ahead. Tell him everything. I don’t care anymore.” For once in his pathetic life, he was speechless. She smiled with grin amusement. “Goodbye, Jeff.”
    She released the gun. Her remote beeped as she pressed unlock. Her fingers curled around the door handle. She was almost free. One tap on the lock, and he’d be out of her life.
    His fingers wrapped around her elbow. “Guess who I saw yesterday?” His question stopped her much more than the pressure from his grip. The tone boded evil. She shuddered knowing something awful would follow.
    “Who?”
    “I saw your old boyfriend. He’s in town. Did you know that?” It was obvious he was enjoying himself so much.
    “Cory? Is in town?”
    “Yeah.” He drawled the word into five or six gut-wrenching syllables. “He’d sure like to know where you’re hiding.”
    She shook his hand loose. Stepping back, she studied him—calmly, dispassionately—as if she hadn’t just experienced the most horrendous jolt of her life. “You’re lying.” She suppressed her roiling fears. “You were never a good liar.”
    He leered at her, sending an icy cold chill down her spine. “Maybe I should introduce your ex-boyfriend to your new boyfriend. Don’t you think they would like to meet each other?” He touched the cross pendant as if he knew who gave it to her. She slapped his hand away. She didn’t want it soiled.
    “Have you suddenly got religion?” His sneer circled her and taunted her and pounced on her last nerve.
    She yanked