Read Online Night Falls on the Wicked by Sharie Kohler - Free Book Online
Authors: Sharie Kohler
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the tender flesh of her palms. Appearances meant nothing.
Darby knew too well that the world was a place where the wind was sometimes something more than wind. Where shadows weren’t always shadows. Where girls who worked in diners were something else, too. Even when they didn’t wantto be. Even when they would give anything to be something else. Something normal.
Turning, she quickly moved for the stairs, taking two jarring steps at a time, her every instinct commanding her to seek shelter, sanctuary. Her fingers located the right key on the ring in readiness. Her instincts were well honed. She knew to trust them.
“You’re sure in a hurry.”
He was waiting for her in the shadows of her small porch. He rose from the chair tucked in the corner, blocking her from reaching her door. She should have noticed his heavy breathing sooner. His nose was bright red, and she guessed he had been waiting for a while.
“You think you’re something, don’t you?” Ned’s lip curled as he looked her up and down. He wasn’t the first man to get surly with her, but he was the first one to follow her home to harass her. She crossed her arms and returned his stare. For some reason, he failed to intimidate her. When she’d spent half her life contending with demons, this guy hardly registered on her fear radar.
She released a heavy sigh. “You’re not going to get out of my way, are you?”
He shook his head, his lips tipping in a cruel smile.
Certain she wasn’t going to make it around him and escape into her apartment, she whirled,ready to descend and flee back into the diner.
She didn’t make it down one step before she felt a great slam of pressure in her back. Her head snapped on her shoulders as she flew off the steps and landed facedown on the rough concrete at the base of the stairs.
Pain radiated through her body. She lay utterly still for a long moment, a croaked gasp wheezing from her lips as her body absorbed the brunt of impact. Without the cushion of snow, she knew it could have been worse.
Feet pounded heavily on the wood steps above her.
“Oh, did you trip? Gotta be careful on those steps. They can be slippery.”
Tripped? Right.
Her hands trembled as she flattened them on the ground. Pain shot through her palms. Wincing, she pulled back and looked at the bleeding scrapes. Apparently the snow hadn’t saved her hands from reaching the concrete.
Ignoring the pain, she pushed to her feet, snatching her keys back up from where they had fallen beside her as she did so. “You pushed me,” she said in a voice that shook. Oddly, not from terror though. Anger thrummed through her blood.
He nodded. “Kicked, actually.”
His thick-soled boots slid to a stop before her.
She stretched to her full height, pulling back her shoulders and ignoring the discomfort in her back from where his boot had struck her.
“What now?” she demanded. “You’re going to beat me up? How melodramatic. Go ahead. Let’s get this over with.”
He tilted his head, studying her as if he’d never seen anything like her before. Fury gleamed in his eyes like a living, glittering beast. “You’re afraid. Stop pretending you’re not.”
Is that what he wanted to see? Her fear.
Idiot
. Fear was nothing. She lived with it every day, waiting for something far worse than him to find her.
She lifted her chin, determined that she not give him the satisfaction. “There’s a bully like you in every town on every corner.” She smiled at him then, rotating her keys in her hand, readying the largest one for when he came at her again. As she knew he would. Bullies like him were predictable that way.
“Bitch,” he growled, his face turning an unflattering purple shade.
He slapped her, but she managed to pull away, taking the force of the blow against her ear rather than her cheek.
Head ringing, she lunged forward and jammed her key into his face, digging the metal in as deep as she could, knowing this was probably the only
Darby knew too well that the world was a place where the wind was sometimes something more than wind. Where shadows weren’t always shadows. Where girls who worked in diners were something else, too. Even when they didn’t wantto be. Even when they would give anything to be something else. Something normal.
Turning, she quickly moved for the stairs, taking two jarring steps at a time, her every instinct commanding her to seek shelter, sanctuary. Her fingers located the right key on the ring in readiness. Her instincts were well honed. She knew to trust them.
“You’re sure in a hurry.”
He was waiting for her in the shadows of her small porch. He rose from the chair tucked in the corner, blocking her from reaching her door. She should have noticed his heavy breathing sooner. His nose was bright red, and she guessed he had been waiting for a while.
“You think you’re something, don’t you?” Ned’s lip curled as he looked her up and down. He wasn’t the first man to get surly with her, but he was the first one to follow her home to harass her. She crossed her arms and returned his stare. For some reason, he failed to intimidate her. When she’d spent half her life contending with demons, this guy hardly registered on her fear radar.
She released a heavy sigh. “You’re not going to get out of my way, are you?”
He shook his head, his lips tipping in a cruel smile.
Certain she wasn’t going to make it around him and escape into her apartment, she whirled,ready to descend and flee back into the diner.
She didn’t make it down one step before she felt a great slam of pressure in her back. Her head snapped on her shoulders as she flew off the steps and landed facedown on the rough concrete at the base of the stairs.
Pain radiated through her body. She lay utterly still for a long moment, a croaked gasp wheezing from her lips as her body absorbed the brunt of impact. Without the cushion of snow, she knew it could have been worse.
Feet pounded heavily on the wood steps above her.
“Oh, did you trip? Gotta be careful on those steps. They can be slippery.”
Tripped? Right.
Her hands trembled as she flattened them on the ground. Pain shot through her palms. Wincing, she pulled back and looked at the bleeding scrapes. Apparently the snow hadn’t saved her hands from reaching the concrete.
Ignoring the pain, she pushed to her feet, snatching her keys back up from where they had fallen beside her as she did so. “You pushed me,” she said in a voice that shook. Oddly, not from terror though. Anger thrummed through her blood.
He nodded. “Kicked, actually.”
His thick-soled boots slid to a stop before her.
She stretched to her full height, pulling back her shoulders and ignoring the discomfort in her back from where his boot had struck her.
“What now?” she demanded. “You’re going to beat me up? How melodramatic. Go ahead. Let’s get this over with.”
He tilted his head, studying her as if he’d never seen anything like her before. Fury gleamed in his eyes like a living, glittering beast. “You’re afraid. Stop pretending you’re not.”
Is that what he wanted to see? Her fear.
Idiot
. Fear was nothing. She lived with it every day, waiting for something far worse than him to find her.
She lifted her chin, determined that she not give him the satisfaction. “There’s a bully like you in every town on every corner.” She smiled at him then, rotating her keys in her hand, readying the largest one for when he came at her again. As she knew he would. Bullies like him were predictable that way.
“Bitch,” he growled, his face turning an unflattering purple shade.
He slapped her, but she managed to pull away, taking the force of the blow against her ear rather than her cheek.
Head ringing, she lunged forward and jammed her key into his face, digging the metal in as deep as she could, knowing this was probably the only
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