Read Online Hunt and Pray by Cindy Sutherland - Free Book Online Page B

there was, Chance had probably done it.
    The thought of the former soldier being out there hunting for him quickly sobered his thoughts. He was probably prepared for everything… except for dealing with his father.
    Not that Drew could blame him. How could you ever learn to deal with a father who not only hated what he suspected you were, but also set out to destroy it?
    Drew couldn’t stop shivering. His light clothing wasn’t nearly enough to keep him warm in the cool mountain air, especially as he had been damp with sweat when he stopped. He thought again of a fire but knew it was impossible.
    He’d never realized how noisy the woods got at night. The constant hum of insects and the calls of owls and other creatures were always just background noise when he was safe and sound in his tent on camping trips with his dad.
    But like this, stuck out in the dark alone, the sounds were frightening, and Drew knew only part of the shivering he was doing was due to the cold.
    A sound to his right caught his attention. As he turned his head to investigate, it got louder, making him scramble to his feet. His heart was in his throat, his muscles almost frozen in fear, but he managed to get them moving enough to draw the knife out of its sheath.
    He was ready to run, but it was too late. He almost screamed as Chance burst out of the shrubbery beside him. He stood there, with his back to a tree and his knife held out in front of him, as Chance approached with his hands up in apparent surrender.
    “I’m not here to kill you, Drew.”
    Those weren’t the words Drew had been expecting to hear.
    He snorted. “Yeah, like you’d tell me if you were.”
    He watched in amazement as Chance grinned. It was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like the other man was even more beat-up than the last time Drew saw him.
    “No, you’re right, I wouldn’t. I guess you’re going to have to trust me.” There was a hint of humor in Chance’s voice.
    Drew shook his head. “And I’d be stupid enough to do that, why?” He was sure Chance was just trying to lure him into a false sense of security, yet his natural curiosity was winning him over.
    Chance stopped where he was and reached behind him, and Drew panicked, sure he was reaching for a gun. He lunged and slashed, catching Chance across the chest. The knife cut through the other man’s shirt and skin like butter, and the feel of it under his hand made Drew’s stomach turn.
    Chance grunted in pain and jumped back before stumbling over a fallen log and landing on his ass. Drew took the opportunity to turn and run. He got about twenty feet, tripping and swearing the whole way, before the urge to look over his shoulder got to be too much.
    What he saw was Chance, still sitting on the ground, holding his hand over the cut on his chest and obviously trying to catch his breath around the pain.
    Drew stuttered to a stop and turned around for a better look, fully aware of the stupidity of his actions. Chance could be faking it… waiting for Drew to come back to check on him.
    The man didn’t move, just sat there hanging his head, looking worse than Drew felt, and Drew felt like shit.
    Taking a deep breath, Drew walked slowly back to his hiding spot.
    Chance had pulled a small flashlight from his jeans pocket and lifted his shirt to examine the damage Drew had inflicted. In that small amount of light, he could see the bruises littering Chance’s chest and stomach, and it was obvious he’d been brutally beaten by his father and Ezra.
    “I’m sorry.” Another apology he didn’t understand.
    Chance looked up wearily at Drew’s words.
    “You shouldn’t be. You have every reason to be scared and suspicious.” Sighing, he shrugged off his backpack and tossed it to Drew. “I was just reaching for this.”
    Drew eyed it warily before picking it up and opening it. Looking inside, he could see there wasn’t much in it. In fact, it seemed to be exactly what was in the one he’d been given,