Read Online Blood of the Impaler by Jeffrey Sackett - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffrey Sackett
Tags: Horror
Ads: Link
a damn thing. All I know is what Jerry told me, and I . . . well, what he said happened . . . I don't know, Holly, I just can't understand . . ."
"It's simple," she said, rising from her knees and sitting down on the side of the bed. "Jerry is usually half-drunk, so he didn't know what he saw. Malcolm, don't give yourself anything silly to worry about. Just rest up and get better."
He sat up slowly and painfully in bed, trying his best to smile at her. "I'm not as bad off as I look, actually. My ribs are killing me, but my neck's okay. This brace is coming off tomorrow. And the swelling on my face has gone down a lot."
Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she surveyed his still-swollen eye and cheek. "God, you must have been a mess if you're better now!" She laughed, and he laughed slightly also until the discomfort in his side stopped him. "Have you been out of bed at all?"
"Of course I have. I'm not crippled, you know. Just wound up fighting somebody four times my size, that's all." He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I'm so happy to see you, Holly!"
Then you should have come to me instead of to that slut , she thought. What she said was, "You know, that sister of yours turned me away at the door three days in a row."
"Rachel!" he said, growing angry. "I swear to God, someday I'm going to . . ."
"Someday you're going to be all better and then this whole silly week will be just an embarrassing memory. In fact," she said, a hint of anger creeping back into her voice, "I'm looking forward to giving you a hard time about this someday."
He smiled and yawned, saying, "Sounds good to me." He yawned again sleepily. "I'm sorry, Holly. The doctor gave me a painkiller and it makes me drowsy." He lay back down.
"That's okay," she said softly. "Just go to sleep. You really look like you need it."
"Haven't been eating right, I guess," he muttered, his eyes closing against his will. "But I'm okay. I can stay up and talk for a while . . ."
"I wouldn't bet on it," she said, smiling. "Just sleep. Sleep and rest. I can wait until you're better to yell at you some more." He seemed to drift off almost immediately, and Holly left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
As she descended the stairs, she heard Rachel saying coldly, "Miss Larsen, I wish to speak with you for a few moments, if you please."
Holly sighed, realizing that she had to attempt to establish some sort of amicable relationship with this woman, and not wishing in the slightest to do so. "Sure, Rachel," she said as cheerfully as possible. Rachel turned from the bottom of the stairway and walked into the sitting room. Holly followed her, willing herself to project an image of unruffled calm and poise, no matter what was to come.
"I don't believe that you have met my husband, Daniel," Rachel said in her hostile, rapid-fire voice. "Miss Larsen, Mr. Rowland. Miss Larsen is the young woman with whom Malcolm has been associating of late." Rachel's disapproval and dislike seemed to drip from her words.
"Hello, Daniel," Holly said amicably, extending her hand and walking forward toward him. "It's nice to meet you."
"Miss Larsen," he said, nodding, not moving to take her hand.
Okay, if that's the way you two want it , she thought angrily. "What can I do for you?" she asked Rachel.
"For one thing, you can stop attempting to see my brother," the older woman replied.
Holly emitted a curt laugh, stunned at the presumption. "Is that so!"
"Yes," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Quite frankly, I don't think it would be in either of your best interests to pursue this friendship of yours."
"Really! Well, quite frankly, I don't think my relationship with Mal is any of your goddamned business!" Holly began to flush, angry not only at the other woman's words, but also at the way in which she managed to make the word "friendship" sound obscene.
"Young lady," Daniel said coldly, "I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head when addressing my wife!"
"Then tell your
"It's simple," she said, rising from her knees and sitting down on the side of the bed. "Jerry is usually half-drunk, so he didn't know what he saw. Malcolm, don't give yourself anything silly to worry about. Just rest up and get better."
He sat up slowly and painfully in bed, trying his best to smile at her. "I'm not as bad off as I look, actually. My ribs are killing me, but my neck's okay. This brace is coming off tomorrow. And the swelling on my face has gone down a lot."
Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she surveyed his still-swollen eye and cheek. "God, you must have been a mess if you're better now!" She laughed, and he laughed slightly also until the discomfort in his side stopped him. "Have you been out of bed at all?"
"Of course I have. I'm not crippled, you know. Just wound up fighting somebody four times my size, that's all." He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I'm so happy to see you, Holly!"
Then you should have come to me instead of to that slut , she thought. What she said was, "You know, that sister of yours turned me away at the door three days in a row."
"Rachel!" he said, growing angry. "I swear to God, someday I'm going to . . ."
"Someday you're going to be all better and then this whole silly week will be just an embarrassing memory. In fact," she said, a hint of anger creeping back into her voice, "I'm looking forward to giving you a hard time about this someday."
He smiled and yawned, saying, "Sounds good to me." He yawned again sleepily. "I'm sorry, Holly. The doctor gave me a painkiller and it makes me drowsy." He lay back down.
"That's okay," she said softly. "Just go to sleep. You really look like you need it."
"Haven't been eating right, I guess," he muttered, his eyes closing against his will. "But I'm okay. I can stay up and talk for a while . . ."
"I wouldn't bet on it," she said, smiling. "Just sleep. Sleep and rest. I can wait until you're better to yell at you some more." He seemed to drift off almost immediately, and Holly left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
As she descended the stairs, she heard Rachel saying coldly, "Miss Larsen, I wish to speak with you for a few moments, if you please."
Holly sighed, realizing that she had to attempt to establish some sort of amicable relationship with this woman, and not wishing in the slightest to do so. "Sure, Rachel," she said as cheerfully as possible. Rachel turned from the bottom of the stairway and walked into the sitting room. Holly followed her, willing herself to project an image of unruffled calm and poise, no matter what was to come.
"I don't believe that you have met my husband, Daniel," Rachel said in her hostile, rapid-fire voice. "Miss Larsen, Mr. Rowland. Miss Larsen is the young woman with whom Malcolm has been associating of late." Rachel's disapproval and dislike seemed to drip from her words.
"Hello, Daniel," Holly said amicably, extending her hand and walking forward toward him. "It's nice to meet you."
"Miss Larsen," he said, nodding, not moving to take her hand.
Okay, if that's the way you two want it , she thought angrily. "What can I do for you?" she asked Rachel.
"For one thing, you can stop attempting to see my brother," the older woman replied.
Holly emitted a curt laugh, stunned at the presumption. "Is that so!"
"Yes," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Quite frankly, I don't think it would be in either of your best interests to pursue this friendship of yours."
"Really! Well, quite frankly, I don't think my relationship with Mal is any of your goddamned business!" Holly began to flush, angry not only at the other woman's words, but also at the way in which she managed to make the word "friendship" sound obscene.
"Young lady," Daniel said coldly, "I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head when addressing my wife!"
"Then tell your
Similar Books
