Read Online Her Own Best Enemy (The Remnants, Book 1) by Cynthia Justlin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cynthia Justlin
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Army?” She quickened her pace to walk shoulder to shoulder with Keith, unable to listen to her thoughts a moment longer.
He ignored her. In fact, he sped up.
Her heart clenched. Let him go. Just let him go.
The sound of Ryker’s scream echoed in her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image of her baby held at gunpoint. It didn’t work. The picture had branded itself against her eyelids.
Not to mention the tiny, yet important, fact that she needed to see the stupid trail.
She looked to Keith who was now a full length ahead of her. Loneliness and desperation ate their way up her esophagus.
“What? You’re not going to talk?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
He reached up and ran his hand across the back of his neck. “I didn’t think this was a leisurely day hike.”
“It’s not.” Her stomach jumped. Oh, baby, please be safe. “I can’t stop thinking about—” She swallowed past the gritty dust that had accumulated in her throat. “I’ll go crazy without some conversation.”
He didn’t look at her, but suddenly his back was close enough for her to reach out and touch. He’d slowed down. Grateful tears stung her eyes. Bless him.
His shoulders lifted and a bark of coarse laughter vibrated against the red rocks. “I didn’t wake up one morning and say, ‘I think I’ll join the Army’, that’s for sure.”
“So...?”
“So, I made a stupid choice one night, reacted with my gut, not my head, and paid for it. I was lucky enough to be allowed to pick my punishment. Army or jail. I chose the lesser of two evils.” His boot kicked a rock and sent it skittering over the edge. “Although sometimes I wonder if prison time wouldn’t have been the easier choice.”
Prison? Yeah. Prison. Why was that so surprising? She knew he lacked scruples. All Grace had to do was look at her sister for a prime example.
She couldn’t stop the hard edge that crept into her voice. “What did you do?”
“It’s what I didn’t do.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I didn’t walk away from a fight.”
She shook her head and a bead of sweat dripped off her nose. She swiped at it with the back of her hand. “People fight all the time.”
He turned to shoot her a hard impenetrable look, as if deciding whether to censor his words. “I could’ve killed him. At the time, part of me wanted to.”
Her feet froze in their tracks. “What did he do to you?”
His jaw tightened, he angled his head, squinting against the sun. “Nothing. It’s what he did to someone else.”
And with that bombshell he gave her his back and resumed his trek down the narrow path.
She quickened her strides. “Defending a girlfriend’s honor?” Grace couldn’t keep the sharp tang from her words.
Since when had Keith developed a conscience? He’d certainly had no trouble destroying her and her sister’s reputation with his lies. Did he lose any sleep when he thought of how he’d thrown Becca to the wolves? Surely he’d known his friend’s intention towards her. Why hadn’t Keith done something instead of taking active participation in her destruction?
Helpless frustration ate through her veins like acid. If she had to look at Keith’s back for one more minute she’d...she didn’t know what she’d do, but it wouldn’t be pretty.
She brushed past him on the right side careful to measure her steps. But her foot caught a rock underneath the sole of her shoe and slipped sideways, inching across the edge of the trail.
She gasped and threw her arms wide to shift her balance. Fear clawed its way up her throat obliterating her attempted cry for help. Her heart raced, muscles burned from their attempt to keep her from catapulting forward.
Suddenly, Keith’s fingers dug into her upper arm and tugged. Her body righted itself and she yanked her foot from the edge. Stumbling against his solid body, she sagged against him, her cheek pressed against the hardness of his chest. Through the damp cotton of his
He ignored her. In fact, he sped up.
Her heart clenched. Let him go. Just let him go.
The sound of Ryker’s scream echoed in her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image of her baby held at gunpoint. It didn’t work. The picture had branded itself against her eyelids.
Not to mention the tiny, yet important, fact that she needed to see the stupid trail.
She looked to Keith who was now a full length ahead of her. Loneliness and desperation ate their way up her esophagus.
“What? You’re not going to talk?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
He reached up and ran his hand across the back of his neck. “I didn’t think this was a leisurely day hike.”
“It’s not.” Her stomach jumped. Oh, baby, please be safe. “I can’t stop thinking about—” She swallowed past the gritty dust that had accumulated in her throat. “I’ll go crazy without some conversation.”
He didn’t look at her, but suddenly his back was close enough for her to reach out and touch. He’d slowed down. Grateful tears stung her eyes. Bless him.
His shoulders lifted and a bark of coarse laughter vibrated against the red rocks. “I didn’t wake up one morning and say, ‘I think I’ll join the Army’, that’s for sure.”
“So...?”
“So, I made a stupid choice one night, reacted with my gut, not my head, and paid for it. I was lucky enough to be allowed to pick my punishment. Army or jail. I chose the lesser of two evils.” His boot kicked a rock and sent it skittering over the edge. “Although sometimes I wonder if prison time wouldn’t have been the easier choice.”
Prison? Yeah. Prison. Why was that so surprising? She knew he lacked scruples. All Grace had to do was look at her sister for a prime example.
She couldn’t stop the hard edge that crept into her voice. “What did you do?”
“It’s what I didn’t do.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I didn’t walk away from a fight.”
She shook her head and a bead of sweat dripped off her nose. She swiped at it with the back of her hand. “People fight all the time.”
He turned to shoot her a hard impenetrable look, as if deciding whether to censor his words. “I could’ve killed him. At the time, part of me wanted to.”
Her feet froze in their tracks. “What did he do to you?”
His jaw tightened, he angled his head, squinting against the sun. “Nothing. It’s what he did to someone else.”
And with that bombshell he gave her his back and resumed his trek down the narrow path.
She quickened her strides. “Defending a girlfriend’s honor?” Grace couldn’t keep the sharp tang from her words.
Since when had Keith developed a conscience? He’d certainly had no trouble destroying her and her sister’s reputation with his lies. Did he lose any sleep when he thought of how he’d thrown Becca to the wolves? Surely he’d known his friend’s intention towards her. Why hadn’t Keith done something instead of taking active participation in her destruction?
Helpless frustration ate through her veins like acid. If she had to look at Keith’s back for one more minute she’d...she didn’t know what she’d do, but it wouldn’t be pretty.
She brushed past him on the right side careful to measure her steps. But her foot caught a rock underneath the sole of her shoe and slipped sideways, inching across the edge of the trail.
She gasped and threw her arms wide to shift her balance. Fear clawed its way up her throat obliterating her attempted cry for help. Her heart raced, muscles burned from their attempt to keep her from catapulting forward.
Suddenly, Keith’s fingers dug into her upper arm and tugged. Her body righted itself and she yanked her foot from the edge. Stumbling against his solid body, she sagged against him, her cheek pressed against the hardness of his chest. Through the damp cotton of his
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