Read Online Orphan Maker by D Jordan Redhawk - Free Book Online Page B

rolled over, facing the wall. She cuddled with her pillow. “Good night.”
    There was a long pause before Loomis answered. “Good night.”
    Gwen closed her eyes, listening as the other woman began to undress, teasing herself with the imagined view. There was a creak from the cabinet at the foot of the bed, then the sound of a drawer opening and shutting. Soon the bed shifted, and Gwen snuggled further down under the covers.
    “You sure the light doesn’t bother you?” Loomis whispered.
    Despite a desire to know more about her roommate in every sense of the word, Gwen’s answer was blurry with exhaustion. “I’m sure.”
    There was more shifting as Loomis got comfortable. Gwen fell asleep to the sound of pages turning and the gentle breathing of another person in the room with her.

Chapter Seven
     
     
     
    With the reflexes of a battle-hardened veteran, Gwen came instantly awake. Before she knew what was happening, she scooted to the head of the bed where she curled into a protective ball. Loomis thrashed again under the covers, barely visible in the gray light coming through the window. She moaned, a guttural sound of fury and agony that raised the hackles on Gwen’s neck. She peered over her arms at the woman. Loomis panted as if she had been running for miles, her face contorted. Gwen realized her roommate suffered a nightmare and unkinked her own body. Her heart beat fast along the path of adrenaline. She glanced about the darkened room, searching for enemies she knew weren’t there—second nature after living in the city. She had survived more than her share of ambushes.
    While Gwen gathered her wits, Loomis continued to fight her demons, growling, her teeth bared as she fought the covers. “No!” she cried. “Leave him alone! He’s got nothing to do with this!”
    Was it a nightmare or something based in reality? Who had nothing to do with what? Who was attacking her? Gwen chewed her lower lip. She didn’t think Loomis was the violent type. Would waking her give cause for a beating? Gwen had been down that road before. She had standards now. Being the punching bag in a relationship wasn’t one of them. The choice was removed from consideration when Loomis sat bolt upright in bed with a shout. Still uncertain, Gwen froze, not wanting to draw Loomis’s attention though they sat a hairbreadth away from each other.
    The floor creaked in the hall, and there was a gentle tap on the door. “Marissa?” Rick called. “You okay?”
    Loomis took a breath, her chest hitching. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
    “All right. I’ll see you in a bit.” His bare feet made little noise on the floorboards. Gwen heard a door close in the distance.
    The woman beside her turned away, dropping her feet over the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath and scrubbed at her face. It appeared Loomis had forgotten she shared a bed with a stranger. Gwen’s movement was slight, just enough to jiggle the mattress and remind the distraught woman that there was someone else in the room. Loomis gasped and turned to stare at her in the gloom. Gwen’s heartbeat sped anew at the intent stare. She tried hard not to flinch away from the ferocity seething just beneath the surface of Loomis’s expression.
    Moments passed. Loomis relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she looked away, the bedsprings squeaking as her weight returned. “Sorry to wake you.”
    “That’s okay. We all have nightmares sometimes.”
    Loomis chuckled without humor. She pushed herself to her feet, and went to the armoire at the foot of the bed. “Go back to sleep. The day starts early out here. You’ll need your rest.”
    “What was it about?” Gwen asked, curious as to what haunted this influential woman. Powerful people sometimes had strong monkeys on their backs. “Talking about it sometimes helps.”
    Pulling on a threadbare robe, Loomis grumbled. “What’s past is past. Nothing to be done about it now.”
    So it’s something from the past.
Unable to let it