Read Online Fallen Angel by Melissa Jones - Free Book Online Page A

of exercise just to make sure we’re all up to it right?” he heard James call.
    “This is retribution for cleaning him out in that poker game the other night.” Charlie called.  Luke felt himself smile he should probably tell them to cut the chatter and concentrate on the matter at hand but he knew they could do this in their sleep, especially since the whole crew was out here. So he didn’t say anything he just listened to them banter back and forth. They all continued to add their two cents about why Tom had dragged them all out on such a non stormy day. He was watching the puffy clouds in the distance, he could see them growing, it might not be storming now but those were definitely thunder heads looming.
    “Hey,” he called to them and everyone fell silent, “This is Tom’s way of telling you all you need a bath, and after sharing a bunkhouse with you I tend to agree.”  The men broke out in raucous laughter each man claiming that the next smelled worse. 
    By the time they reached the high ground there was a definite chill in the air and the clouds that had been in the distance now took up enough of the sky to hide the sun . The wind was kicking up and the cattle were starting to get nervous. They herded them together as tightly as they could the men keeping a perimeter around them. Luke heard the first clap of thunder at the same time as fat raindrops began to fall around him. The air around him felt charged, it made him uneasy even Blaze pranced beneath him. Tom was right as usual, this was going to be a bad storm. The hair on the back of his neck stood as a sense of foreboding filled him.  He rode around instructing each of the men not to take any unnecessary chances and reminding them to watch for flash flooding.  He knew they didn’t need reminding but he felt the need to say the words anyway. They could track down a scattered herd easily enough but he couldn’t replace the men. 
    The thunder rolled and the lighting flashed. The rain began coming down in sheets it was pouring off his hat brim. He continued to ride around the perimeter of the herd watching for any signs that they might spook into a stampede, there were none.  A clap of thunder seemed to vibrate the very air around him and simultaneously the sky lit up he saw the jagged beam of light strike a tree just far enough away to not be a danger to the herd. It split in half one side crashing to the ground amid a shower of sparks. “At least it’s raining enough that it shouldn’t start a fire.”  He thought to himself as he continued to patrol. The stormed raged with violence he hadn’t seen in a long time the wind whipped and pulled at his duster, more than once he would have lost his hat if he hadn’t been using the strap. It was hard to believe a few short hours ago the sky had been blue without a cloud in the sky. It seemed as if he had stepped into a whole other world, one in which the elements themselves seemed to have a vendetta against him.
    Finally after it felt like he had ridden in a thousand circles he stopped. The rain was still falling but he didn’ t feel as if he was being pelted by it. The lightning and thunder weren’t occurring at the same time now. It seemed the storm was moving past.
    “Looks like the worst has past.” Luke looked for the sound of the voice and saw James astride his horse not far away.
    “Yeah this one has just about blown it’s self out.” Tom said from his other side.  They continued to keep a close eye on the herd but there wasn’t as much to be concerned about now the thunder was growing quieter.
    “Boss!” The urgency in James’ voice caused him to turn in the saddle. James pointed at the horizon toward the west. There was an eerie orange glow. “That has to be the house.”
    “Damn, James with me, Tom keep the herd” Luke yelled even as he urged Blaze into a full gallop. He knew running the horse in the dark after the storm they just had was a stupid thing to do but he