Read Online Bitter Root by Laydin Michaels - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laydin Michaels
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treed
raccoon. Set on down there and tell me what’s the matter,” Bertie said.
“It’s Griffith. Why’d I go and invite her to spend the day with
me tomorrow? What was I thinking?”
“Seems to me you were thinking of having a nice time with a
beautiful woman. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Everything’s wrong with that. I can’t be spending hours and
hours with her. You know that. You know what made me who I am, Bertie. You know
she can’t be getting into all of that.”
“Shucks, girl. You hold on to that secret any harder and that
coal’s gonna turn to a diamond. I’m telling you. I know you lived hard times,
harder than most. Things you seen and done, well, they ain’t good things. But
that’s the past, child. You don’t even know that that man is still alive, much
less looking for you. This gal may be able to help you find out. She’s got
connections and credentials to find out a lot more than you or me. If you can
find it in your heart to trust her, maybe she can find out if he’s out there
looking. Maybe she can help you get free of him for good.”
“But what if she writes about me and J.B.? What if her story
brings all of his hate and anger down on us here at the Pot? I can’t risk that.
I can’t put you and T and Jose in that kind of danger,” Adi said.
“Seems to me, the danger is in not speaking up. If folks knew
about him, they’d find a way to put a stop to him, don’t you think?”
“I don’t. He owned the local police when I was a kid. Probably
owns even more now. He’s a scary man, Bertie.”
“He can’t own all the police. There has to be a way to bring him
to reckoning. Lord knows you’ve suffered long enough hiding here. You deserve a
life. You deserve to be the woman I raised you to be. Free, proud, and happy.”
Adi hunched her shoulders, knowing what Bertie said made sense.
But Bertie didn’t know J.B. She hadn’t watched the cold, calculated look in his
eye when he killed someone. She hadn’t seen the bodies, bloodied and bruised,
that she’d helped him consign to the deep. Most of all, she didn’t know about
Ransom Prejean. Adi’d never been able to bring herself to tell Bertie about the
man whose life she took. She knew that she really hadn’t had a choice, but
she’d never forget his face. Never forget his kids. Bertie had something there
with the thought of using Griffith to find out more about J.B., but she still
thought the risk was far too high. It might cost her the only happiness she could
remember. Heck, it could
even send me to prison.
“I’ll think on it, Bertie. I promise. I know you want me to shake
free of his hold. Maybe I can figure out some way to make that happen. Maybe
Griffith can help, but for now, I just have to keep holding my secret.”
“Well, I hope you’ll see the sense in what I’m saying and take a
chance. You got to know you can’t live your whole life this way. It’s been
eight years of hiding. Eight years of sticking to the shadows and watching life
go by. I’m not going to be here forever, Adi. I’m seventy-four years old. You
got to figure a way to build a life for yourself. One that fills you up and
pushes all that darkness out,” Bertie said softly, staring into space.
“Don’t talk that way. You aren’t going anywhere for a long time.
I’ll do it, I promise. I just have to do it in my own time, in my own way,” Adi
said.
“See that you do. Best get on to bed now, since you got you a
date tomorrow. Want to be looking well rested for that pretty gal.”
“Bertie. It’s not a date, I mean…we’re just going canoeing.” It
wasn’t surprising that Bertie knew. She always knew things before Adi did.
“Umm-hmm. Tell yourself whatever makes you feel good, but I know
a date when I see one. You and her got date written all over yourselves.”
Adi walked back to her room, wondering how Bertie felt about her
possibly wanting to date women. It didn’t seem to faze her. She shook her head.
Strange
raccoon. Set on down there and tell me what’s the matter,” Bertie said.
“It’s Griffith. Why’d I go and invite her to spend the day with
me tomorrow? What was I thinking?”
“Seems to me you were thinking of having a nice time with a
beautiful woman. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Everything’s wrong with that. I can’t be spending hours and
hours with her. You know that. You know what made me who I am, Bertie. You know
she can’t be getting into all of that.”
“Shucks, girl. You hold on to that secret any harder and that
coal’s gonna turn to a diamond. I’m telling you. I know you lived hard times,
harder than most. Things you seen and done, well, they ain’t good things. But
that’s the past, child. You don’t even know that that man is still alive, much
less looking for you. This gal may be able to help you find out. She’s got
connections and credentials to find out a lot more than you or me. If you can
find it in your heart to trust her, maybe she can find out if he’s out there
looking. Maybe she can help you get free of him for good.”
“But what if she writes about me and J.B.? What if her story
brings all of his hate and anger down on us here at the Pot? I can’t risk that.
I can’t put you and T and Jose in that kind of danger,” Adi said.
“Seems to me, the danger is in not speaking up. If folks knew
about him, they’d find a way to put a stop to him, don’t you think?”
“I don’t. He owned the local police when I was a kid. Probably
owns even more now. He’s a scary man, Bertie.”
“He can’t own all the police. There has to be a way to bring him
to reckoning. Lord knows you’ve suffered long enough hiding here. You deserve a
life. You deserve to be the woman I raised you to be. Free, proud, and happy.”
Adi hunched her shoulders, knowing what Bertie said made sense.
But Bertie didn’t know J.B. She hadn’t watched the cold, calculated look in his
eye when he killed someone. She hadn’t seen the bodies, bloodied and bruised,
that she’d helped him consign to the deep. Most of all, she didn’t know about
Ransom Prejean. Adi’d never been able to bring herself to tell Bertie about the
man whose life she took. She knew that she really hadn’t had a choice, but
she’d never forget his face. Never forget his kids. Bertie had something there
with the thought of using Griffith to find out more about J.B., but she still
thought the risk was far too high. It might cost her the only happiness she could
remember. Heck, it could
even send me to prison.
“I’ll think on it, Bertie. I promise. I know you want me to shake
free of his hold. Maybe I can figure out some way to make that happen. Maybe
Griffith can help, but for now, I just have to keep holding my secret.”
“Well, I hope you’ll see the sense in what I’m saying and take a
chance. You got to know you can’t live your whole life this way. It’s been
eight years of hiding. Eight years of sticking to the shadows and watching life
go by. I’m not going to be here forever, Adi. I’m seventy-four years old. You
got to figure a way to build a life for yourself. One that fills you up and
pushes all that darkness out,” Bertie said softly, staring into space.
“Don’t talk that way. You aren’t going anywhere for a long time.
I’ll do it, I promise. I just have to do it in my own time, in my own way,” Adi
said.
“See that you do. Best get on to bed now, since you got you a
date tomorrow. Want to be looking well rested for that pretty gal.”
“Bertie. It’s not a date, I mean…we’re just going canoeing.” It
wasn’t surprising that Bertie knew. She always knew things before Adi did.
“Umm-hmm. Tell yourself whatever makes you feel good, but I know
a date when I see one. You and her got date written all over yourselves.”
Adi walked back to her room, wondering how Bertie felt about her
possibly wanting to date women. It didn’t seem to faze her. She shook her head.
Strange
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