Read Online Cold Heart by Chandler McGrew - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chandler McGrew
Ads: Link
nodding to his right. “That way's my house.” He looked down the other direction, around the cabin and across the bridge. “And that way you have to go through me. You can't get away, Dawn.”
He calmly flipped open the side port of the single-action pistol and ejected two spent shells, replacing them with cartridges in his bulging pants pocket.
Dawn crouched farther down the slope, trembling like a leaf. She couldn't get the horrible images—Terry's frail body quivering on the floor as El stabbed her, the empty darkness of the big pistol barrel pointing in her own face—out of her brain.
But El had slipped in her mother's blood and his shots had gone wild. Even in death, her mother was looking out for her. In the end she had saved her daughter from one of the very creatures that inhabited her worst nightmares.
“You all have to die,” said El. “You can't stay here anymore.”
The most terrifying thing to Dawn was the casual way in which he said it. Like he was saying “We have to get ready in case it rains.”
What's wrong with him?
And what does he mean by
all
?
Was he talking about her and her mother?
He took a step closer to the slope and she could no longer see his face. But now she could see the pistol again, hanging beside his bloody pants leg. That and one boot.
She held her breath and tried to stop shaking.
He was whispering now, as though he knew exactly where she was. How close he stood to her.
“You can't live. You have to understand that, Dawn. Your mother knew. She turned her back for me so it wouldn't hurt. I don't want to hurt you either. But you can't stay here.”
She wanted to scream at him to go away and leave them alone. But the instant he heard her he'd shoot her dead. Her only hope was that he didn't really know where she was.
The trouble was that she couldn't hold her breath any longer. It all wanted to come out in a gigantic burst. There was sweat on her hands, on her face, trickling down into her eyes and the back of her neck. She exhaled so slowly that it was just a silent hiss of air across her lips and a fierce stinging in her lungs.
She breathed back in the same way. But it wasn't fast enough or powerful enough to fulfill her body's need for oxygen. She did it over and over, the ache intensifying, praying that El would give up and go away.
When he leaped forward and crashed through the branches, she nearly screamed. He stumbled around, grunting andstamping like a wounded grizzly. The alders jerked and slapped her face. She was tangled in them like a fly in a web.
“Come out of there!” shouted El.
She could see both his boots now, inches away from her, and a razor of fear sliced up her spine.
He was standing on the handkerchief.
She'd still had it in her hand as she scrambled over the side of the bank, down to the Fork, and she must have dropped it as she dived into the alders. Until El stepped on it, the scrap of cloth had been forgotten. Now it seemed to point to her hiding place like a neon sign.
Had El noticed it yet?
Dawn glanced slowly around to see if there was any escape. But she knew there was none. El would never miss at this range.
She was screwed.
But his big black boot covered all but the corner of the handkerchief. If he didn't look directly down at it, he might not notice…
“Come on out, you little bitch,” said El. He kicked at the brush. But there was no anger in his movements. His voice never rose, although he had been shouting before. He sounded almost as though he was bored. As though he was talking to himself.
Curling up tightly, she held her breath until she knew her lungs would burst.
12:20
M ICKY WAS A THIRD of the way to Cabels’ Store, her mind on the letter she had just completed to Jim, explaining once more that yes, she was fine but no, she had no intention of leaving McRay. And no, there was nothing between her and Damon. They were just friends. Jim had hoped for more out of their relationship, but he'd have to live with
He calmly flipped open the side port of the single-action pistol and ejected two spent shells, replacing them with cartridges in his bulging pants pocket.
Dawn crouched farther down the slope, trembling like a leaf. She couldn't get the horrible images—Terry's frail body quivering on the floor as El stabbed her, the empty darkness of the big pistol barrel pointing in her own face—out of her brain.
But El had slipped in her mother's blood and his shots had gone wild. Even in death, her mother was looking out for her. In the end she had saved her daughter from one of the very creatures that inhabited her worst nightmares.
“You all have to die,” said El. “You can't stay here anymore.”
The most terrifying thing to Dawn was the casual way in which he said it. Like he was saying “We have to get ready in case it rains.”
What's wrong with him?
And what does he mean by
all
?
Was he talking about her and her mother?
He took a step closer to the slope and she could no longer see his face. But now she could see the pistol again, hanging beside his bloody pants leg. That and one boot.
She held her breath and tried to stop shaking.
He was whispering now, as though he knew exactly where she was. How close he stood to her.
“You can't live. You have to understand that, Dawn. Your mother knew. She turned her back for me so it wouldn't hurt. I don't want to hurt you either. But you can't stay here.”
She wanted to scream at him to go away and leave them alone. But the instant he heard her he'd shoot her dead. Her only hope was that he didn't really know where she was.
The trouble was that she couldn't hold her breath any longer. It all wanted to come out in a gigantic burst. There was sweat on her hands, on her face, trickling down into her eyes and the back of her neck. She exhaled so slowly that it was just a silent hiss of air across her lips and a fierce stinging in her lungs.
She breathed back in the same way. But it wasn't fast enough or powerful enough to fulfill her body's need for oxygen. She did it over and over, the ache intensifying, praying that El would give up and go away.
When he leaped forward and crashed through the branches, she nearly screamed. He stumbled around, grunting andstamping like a wounded grizzly. The alders jerked and slapped her face. She was tangled in them like a fly in a web.
“Come out of there!” shouted El.
She could see both his boots now, inches away from her, and a razor of fear sliced up her spine.
He was standing on the handkerchief.
She'd still had it in her hand as she scrambled over the side of the bank, down to the Fork, and she must have dropped it as she dived into the alders. Until El stepped on it, the scrap of cloth had been forgotten. Now it seemed to point to her hiding place like a neon sign.
Had El noticed it yet?
Dawn glanced slowly around to see if there was any escape. But she knew there was none. El would never miss at this range.
She was screwed.
But his big black boot covered all but the corner of the handkerchief. If he didn't look directly down at it, he might not notice…
“Come on out, you little bitch,” said El. He kicked at the brush. But there was no anger in his movements. His voice never rose, although he had been shouting before. He sounded almost as though he was bored. As though he was talking to himself.
Curling up tightly, she held her breath until she knew her lungs would burst.
12:20
M ICKY WAS A THIRD of the way to Cabels’ Store, her mind on the letter she had just completed to Jim, explaining once more that yes, she was fine but no, she had no intention of leaving McRay. And no, there was nothing between her and Damon. They were just friends. Jim had hoped for more out of their relationship, but he'd have to live with
Similar Books
![Praetorian Series [3] A Hunter and His Legion](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/559646/thumbs/152x264/praetorian-series-3-a-hunter-and-his-legion.jpg)
