Read Online Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dianne Duvall
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he
needs
one? How could he not?
“Is Marcus your brother?”
“No, why do you ask?”
She shrugged. “You both share the same hair and eye coloring. You’re almost the same height. You’re both handsome, have the same build—”
“You think he’s handsome?” he interrupted.
“Sure. Not as handsome as you are. I mean, even covered with blood and truly scary wounds, you—” She broke off. What was she doing?
Clearing her throat, she mumbled, “I just thought you might be related.”
Boots again sounded on the porch.
Marcus must have conceded defeat and decided he needed a flashlight.
“It’s Marcus,” she heard him call.
Roland opened the door. “Anything?”
“All clear,” Marcus responded as he strode inside.
At first, Sarah thought he was joking. There was no way he could have checked her backyard and the meadow beyond already. Even with good lighting and running at top speed he would have only had time to reach the site of her future veggie garden.
His next words, however, belied that and stunned her speechless.
Scowling at Roland, he asked, “Is all the blood on the ground near that spike yours?”
“Yes,” was Roland’s clipped response.
Swearing, Marcus bent and grabbed the handles of his duffle bag, his eyes snagging Sarah’s. “Where’s your bathroom?”
She pointed to it. “You saw the meadow where they staked him to the ground?”
“They staked you to the ground?” he roared, turning on Roland.
“Yes. I don’t suppose you found a couple of corpses lying about, did you?”
“No.”
Sarah looked at Roland. “So the guys I hit with the shovel didn’t die?”
“Apparently not.” He didn’t seem pleased.
She swallowed. “You think they’re going to come back.”
He nodded. “And since you’re the only person nearby, they’ll draw the obvious conclusion that you were the one who helped me.”
That’s what she had feared. “What should I do?”
He hesitated, as though waging some internal debate. “Pack a bag. You can stay with me until this is all sorted out.”
Marcus’s mouth fell open. “
What?
”
Roland frowned belligerently. “She’ll be safe with me.”
“You
never
let anyone stay with you.
I
don’t stay with you. I don’t even know where you live and I’ve known you freakin’ forever!”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not going to let her stay with you. You’re dangerous to be around.”
“According to whom?”
“Seth.”
“Well, Seth doesn’t know everything.”
Roland raised one eyebrow.
“All right. All right. Sometimes Seth does seem to know everything. It’s incredibly annoying. But I would never purposefully endanger an innocent.”
“The key word being ‘purposefully.’”
Sarah raised a hand. “Is anyone here interested in where
I
might wish to stay?”
Both men turned to her with guilty expressions.
“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Roland said wearily. “I didn’t mean to make you feel you have no say in the matter. I’m only concerned with your safety.”
“I appreciate that.”
Marcus stared at Roland as if his friend had just sprouted a pair of horns. “You’re
apologizing?
Seriously, what happened to you? Have you been taken over by a pod person?”
Roland’s face darkened with promised retribution.
Sarah touched his arm to calm him and glared at Marcus. “Marcus, don’t poke the bear. In case you haven’t noticed, Roland is in a lot of pain and doesn’t need the added aggravation of you taunting him. Are you here to help him or what?”
Remorse rippled across his features. “I’m sorry. Hurry up and decide this so I can patch him up.”
Roland’s hand brushed the small of her back. “Would you rather stay with family until—”
“No,” she answered immediately, unable to repress a shudder. As far as she was concerned, she had no family. “No, I want to stay with you.”
He nodded. “Pack whatever you’ll need for the next few days. Hopefully, we’ll be able to resolve this
needs
one? How could he not?
“Is Marcus your brother?”
“No, why do you ask?”
She shrugged. “You both share the same hair and eye coloring. You’re almost the same height. You’re both handsome, have the same build—”
“You think he’s handsome?” he interrupted.
“Sure. Not as handsome as you are. I mean, even covered with blood and truly scary wounds, you—” She broke off. What was she doing?
Clearing her throat, she mumbled, “I just thought you might be related.”
Boots again sounded on the porch.
Marcus must have conceded defeat and decided he needed a flashlight.
“It’s Marcus,” she heard him call.
Roland opened the door. “Anything?”
“All clear,” Marcus responded as he strode inside.
At first, Sarah thought he was joking. There was no way he could have checked her backyard and the meadow beyond already. Even with good lighting and running at top speed he would have only had time to reach the site of her future veggie garden.
His next words, however, belied that and stunned her speechless.
Scowling at Roland, he asked, “Is all the blood on the ground near that spike yours?”
“Yes,” was Roland’s clipped response.
Swearing, Marcus bent and grabbed the handles of his duffle bag, his eyes snagging Sarah’s. “Where’s your bathroom?”
She pointed to it. “You saw the meadow where they staked him to the ground?”
“They staked you to the ground?” he roared, turning on Roland.
“Yes. I don’t suppose you found a couple of corpses lying about, did you?”
“No.”
Sarah looked at Roland. “So the guys I hit with the shovel didn’t die?”
“Apparently not.” He didn’t seem pleased.
She swallowed. “You think they’re going to come back.”
He nodded. “And since you’re the only person nearby, they’ll draw the obvious conclusion that you were the one who helped me.”
That’s what she had feared. “What should I do?”
He hesitated, as though waging some internal debate. “Pack a bag. You can stay with me until this is all sorted out.”
Marcus’s mouth fell open. “
What?
”
Roland frowned belligerently. “She’ll be safe with me.”
“You
never
let anyone stay with you.
I
don’t stay with you. I don’t even know where you live and I’ve known you freakin’ forever!”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not going to let her stay with you. You’re dangerous to be around.”
“According to whom?”
“Seth.”
“Well, Seth doesn’t know everything.”
Roland raised one eyebrow.
“All right. All right. Sometimes Seth does seem to know everything. It’s incredibly annoying. But I would never purposefully endanger an innocent.”
“The key word being ‘purposefully.’”
Sarah raised a hand. “Is anyone here interested in where
I
might wish to stay?”
Both men turned to her with guilty expressions.
“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Roland said wearily. “I didn’t mean to make you feel you have no say in the matter. I’m only concerned with your safety.”
“I appreciate that.”
Marcus stared at Roland as if his friend had just sprouted a pair of horns. “You’re
apologizing?
Seriously, what happened to you? Have you been taken over by a pod person?”
Roland’s face darkened with promised retribution.
Sarah touched his arm to calm him and glared at Marcus. “Marcus, don’t poke the bear. In case you haven’t noticed, Roland is in a lot of pain and doesn’t need the added aggravation of you taunting him. Are you here to help him or what?”
Remorse rippled across his features. “I’m sorry. Hurry up and decide this so I can patch him up.”
Roland’s hand brushed the small of her back. “Would you rather stay with family until—”
“No,” she answered immediately, unable to repress a shudder. As far as she was concerned, she had no family. “No, I want to stay with you.”
He nodded. “Pack whatever you’ll need for the next few days. Hopefully, we’ll be able to resolve this
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