Read Online Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1 by Amanda Washington - Free Book Online Page B

Jacob’s arms.”
    “ She was bleeding?” Liberty looked
confused. “What happened to her?”
    Connor shrugged. “I don’t know. Shot?
Stabbed? She’d gotten away somehow. There wasn’t time to get the
details. The commotion outside sounded like it was closing in on
us. They’d seen her run into the house and ...”
    “ So you killed them to save your own
skin?” Liberty shook her head.
    “ No!” Connor broke all the blades of
grass remaining in his hand then tossed them aside and pulled up
some more. He took another deep breath and picked up where he left
off. “My brother asked me to kill him and his wife.” His voice
cracked, and he cleared his throat. “And when I declined, he begged
me.”
    Jacob’s request still haunted
him.
    ‘ You must. It’s the only
way.’
    ‘ No Jacob, don’t ask this
of me. I can’t kill you!’
    ‘ Yes you can. You have to.
Ashley’s life depends on it.’
    Liberty reached out her hand, placing
it on Connor’s shoulder.
    “ Liar,” Ashley spat, pushing herself
to her feet. “You lie! They would never leave me! They wouldn’t
just give up. Mom always said you were a good liar.”
    Yes, I’m a great liar. But
not this time.
    Liberty stood and went to Ashley,
wrapping her arms around the girl.
    Connor watched them, jealous of the
relationship they’d developed so quickly. “I didn’t know what to
do.” Hopeless tears slid down his cheeks, all the while Ashley
glared at him with pure hatred in her eyes. He stared at her and
continued, “Jacob was right. We were out of options. Cathy was
dying. And even if he would have left her behind, there was no way
I could’ve gotten him back to the safe with his broken
leg.”
    Ashley seethed. Her shoulders rose and
fell with the sobs she held back.
    “ More than even their own lives, they
wanted you to survive,” Connor told her. “They loved you so much,
that they never even hesitated.”
    Her small frame shook and she broke.
She covered her mouth and turned away so he couldn’t see her. He
could still hear her sadness though.
    Liberty ran her fingers through
Ashley’s hair while watching Connor. Her expression was haunted and
her eyes flooded with unshed tears.
    ‘ Please, Con, kill me. Save
her.’
    Connor’s chest
constricted. ‘No, Jacob, don’t ask this of
me.’
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    “ASH, I’M SO sorry.” I squeezed her
shoulders as the child mourned for her parents. I wanted to fix the
situation—to fix her—but there was nothing I could do. But then an
idea hit me. I couldn’t fix her, but I could give her something to
help comfort her. “Hey, I have a present for you,” I said. Then I
pulled Frog out of my pack, dusted him off and presented him to
Ashley. Frog stared at her with his one glossy, black eye; begging
to be accepted.
    “ Frog, this is Ashley,” I introduced
them. “Frog once belonged to someone dear to me. He hates being
locked away in my smelly pack and complains continuously. I’d
really appreciate it if you took him off my hands.”
    She rolled her eyes. “I’m twelve,” she
said, like that meant she couldn’t play with stuffed animals or
something.
    I shrugged and pulled open the flap of
my bag, dramatically preparing to stuff him back in. “Alright,
Frog, back in the pack you go. Might want to plug your
nose.”
    Her soft, small hand grabbed mine,
stopping it in mid air. “It wouldn’t hurt to hang out with him for
a little bit. You know, see if we’re compatible.”
    I fought to hide my smile.
    She studied the bear’s tattered
appearance and asked, “Who did he belong to?” Her delicate fingers
explored the Band-Aid on his arm and the empty spot where his
missing eye should be. Frog was flawed and rough-looking, but he
was exactly what Ashley needed. She’d love him regardless of his
imperfections.
    “ My niece, Megan.” As if summoned,
Megan’s laughter once again invaded my thoughts, slicing through
the imaginary band-aid I’d patched that wound with.
    “