Read Online Broken by Matthew Storm - Free Book Online Page B

tried to kill someone.
If he’d had even a little more experience, or been a little more sure of
himself, he could have made easy work of me outside. If he’d taken three steps
closer before drawing his gun it would have been over before I’d have had time
to react. But now Todd’s own adrenaline surge was making his hands shake,
sending his shots in every direction but their intended target.
    He fired
again and a bullet whizzed past, tearing a hole in the arm of my jacket but not
piercing my skin. At least, I didn’t think it had. As pumped up as I was, I
doubted I’d be able to feel pain. But Todd’s aim was getting better. I was
never going to make it to the kitchen before he hit me.
    I turned
in mid-stride and tried to put the couch between me and Todd, thinking I might
be able to make it into my bedroom and lock the door. That wouldn’t hold him
for long, but my bedroom had a large window. If I broke it open I could
probably be through it and halfway down the block before he got to me.
    It might
have worked, but my foot slipped on a hamburger wrapper I’d somehow missed on
my cleaning jag earlier and I fell to the ground. Todd fired two more shots,
then his gun clicked on empty.
    I got to
my feet. Todd was staring at his gun in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe he
had run out of bullets. Did he think this was a videogame? “Dumbass,” I said.
My ears were still ringing but I could hear my own voice clearly enough, along
with Todd’s panting.
    Todd
looked up and then he actually threw the gun at me. I dodged it easily. “You
suck at this,” I sneered at him. Adrenaline and booze were doing a number on my
emotions. I was enjoying this now. Death, my old friend, had taken another run
at me. Death had missed.
    Fighting
Todd was pretty far down on the list of things I wanted to be doing right now,
but he put his fists up and took a step toward me. He had a boxer’s stance but
looked untrained, as if he was trying to mimic something he had seen on
television and not learned in a gym. He’d probably relied on his size to save
him in fights before. He’d be used to intimidating people, and ending things
with one good punch if a confrontation ever went that far. But the only chance
he’d have ever had against me would have been to grapple. He could have wrapped
me up and choked me out in a matter of seconds, if he’d had any idea how to
actually use that size advantage of his. But the fool wanted to punch. Big
mistake.
    I put my
left foot forward and set myself in a middle-height stance, weight on my back
foot. If he wanted to fight I’d show him what Shotokan karate was about. But I
wasn’t going to make the first move. He would have to come at me and show me
what he had.
    Todd
launched a slow but powerful punch at my head. It might have killed me if it
had connected, but dodging it was child’s play. He tried again but I danced out
of the way. I could hear a police siren in the distance now. For the first time
in my life I was glad that I had neighbors nearby. I’d never complain about
their loud music again.
    “You’re
out of time, big boy,” I said. “Give it up.”
    Todd’s
attention wandered and I could have ended it right there by taking out one of
his knees, but I wanted him talking, not screaming. I had questions for him,
and once the police dragged him away I’d never have the chance to ask them.
    “Is this
because of the affair?” I asked. “Were you afraid I’d tell Davies about it?”
    Todd
glared at me, trying to look fierce, but I saw the desperation he was trying to
hide and nearly felt sorry for him. Nearly. “Not you,” he said. “I’m sorry. He said I have to kill you, or he’ll tell.” Todd still hadn’t put his hands
down. How did he think this was going to end?
    “Who is
going to tell?” I asked. “Tell me who sent you and this is over. Things are
going to look a lot better for you if you surrender.”
    “I
can’t…”
    “Nobody
is hurt yet, Todd. You shot a