Read Online Secrets and Scars: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (Fatal Hearts Series Book 3) by Dori Lavelle - Free Book Online
Authors: Dori Lavelle
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body tensed when I heard a click, one that signaled death. He was going to shoot. He would kill Owen, continue torturing me, and then kill me as well.
A flicker of rage expanded inside my chest, growing, extending until it reached my hands, the tips of my fingers. A shot of adrenaline rushed through me, pushed me to the edge of insanity, pushed me to act before I could think.
The sound of the gunshot hit my ears hard just as the rock I hurled at Alvin caught him above the ear. He reeled, and the bullet landed in the dirt next to Owen’s head.
He jerked his head toward me. Blood trickled down his jaw.
I wasn’t done with him yet. My hands curled into fists. My foot lifted off the ground. One step. Two steps. He was coming for me now, gun raised. Of course he would. I wouldn’t let it stop me. I had a plan. I pulled every ounce of energy from each corner of my body, felt it thumping in the center of my heart. His eyes widened when I shot like a bullet toward him, switching my run to a half circle moments before I reached him, barreling into his body with a scream that scratched my throat. The impact of my body knocked him off balance, just as I’d planned. He tried but failed to catch himself, to stop his body from tipping over the edge of the volcano and into the caldera, a tortured yell and his gun following him down.
I shook as I watched him fall, anger and terror swimming in his black eyes.
He landed with a thud twenty feet below. Then he lay still.
I didn’t waste time wondering whether he was dead or just unconscious. I ran to Owen, who was already getting to his feet. A quick look at his hands and face told me he didn’t have any cuts from the fight, and the blood on his face had come from his nose. No critical injuries.
I sent up a silent prayer of thanks and helped him up, traces of adrenaline still humming in my veins.
“He almost killed me. You saved my life.” He drew me into a hug.
I pulled away. “You saved mine first. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Was Alvin dead? Did he survive the fall into the caldera? We had no time to wonder, to discuss the possibilities. He had taken us by surprise, and we were more ready than ever to get off the island and as far away from him as possible. Nothing could stop us: not the stubborn heat, nor the thorns slicing our ankles. We held hands, and we ran. When we tripped, we picked ourselves up and continued on.
Our efforts were rewarded when we finally made it to the edge of the farm. Relief didn’t come easy, though; I was focused on the fire spreading through my chest as I attempted to breathe.
I clutched my stomach and looked over at an equally exhausted Owen, who was sweeping his sweat-damp hair from his forehead. One of his hands rested on the wooden fence.
“You okay?” He breathed the words rather than spoke them.
I gave a small nod. Talking required energy I didn’t have. I placed my hands on my lower back and drew in a long, painful breath, hoping it would chase off the dizziness.
“We did it.”
His weak smile had a strong effect on me.
I turned toward the farmland, our temporary destination, sagging against the fence as sudden relief washed over me.
From where we stood, we could not see the huts, which were hidden from view by rows of lush plants that emitted a strong smell I recognized but could not place. I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes and removed them again. My vision had cleared, and I recognized plants that stretched out in rows before us.
“You do know what those are, right?” Owen asked in a dusty voice.
“I thought I was mistaken.” The first time I encountered a cannabis plant was back in college, when another student was suspended for growing weed in his dorm room. But I had never come across cannabis being grown on such a large scale before.
“Nope.” Owen leaned in closer to the fence and touched one of the leaves, rubbing it between his fingers. “Definitely weed.”
“What should
A flicker of rage expanded inside my chest, growing, extending until it reached my hands, the tips of my fingers. A shot of adrenaline rushed through me, pushed me to the edge of insanity, pushed me to act before I could think.
The sound of the gunshot hit my ears hard just as the rock I hurled at Alvin caught him above the ear. He reeled, and the bullet landed in the dirt next to Owen’s head.
He jerked his head toward me. Blood trickled down his jaw.
I wasn’t done with him yet. My hands curled into fists. My foot lifted off the ground. One step. Two steps. He was coming for me now, gun raised. Of course he would. I wouldn’t let it stop me. I had a plan. I pulled every ounce of energy from each corner of my body, felt it thumping in the center of my heart. His eyes widened when I shot like a bullet toward him, switching my run to a half circle moments before I reached him, barreling into his body with a scream that scratched my throat. The impact of my body knocked him off balance, just as I’d planned. He tried but failed to catch himself, to stop his body from tipping over the edge of the volcano and into the caldera, a tortured yell and his gun following him down.
I shook as I watched him fall, anger and terror swimming in his black eyes.
He landed with a thud twenty feet below. Then he lay still.
I didn’t waste time wondering whether he was dead or just unconscious. I ran to Owen, who was already getting to his feet. A quick look at his hands and face told me he didn’t have any cuts from the fight, and the blood on his face had come from his nose. No critical injuries.
I sent up a silent prayer of thanks and helped him up, traces of adrenaline still humming in my veins.
“He almost killed me. You saved my life.” He drew me into a hug.
I pulled away. “You saved mine first. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Was Alvin dead? Did he survive the fall into the caldera? We had no time to wonder, to discuss the possibilities. He had taken us by surprise, and we were more ready than ever to get off the island and as far away from him as possible. Nothing could stop us: not the stubborn heat, nor the thorns slicing our ankles. We held hands, and we ran. When we tripped, we picked ourselves up and continued on.
Our efforts were rewarded when we finally made it to the edge of the farm. Relief didn’t come easy, though; I was focused on the fire spreading through my chest as I attempted to breathe.
I clutched my stomach and looked over at an equally exhausted Owen, who was sweeping his sweat-damp hair from his forehead. One of his hands rested on the wooden fence.
“You okay?” He breathed the words rather than spoke them.
I gave a small nod. Talking required energy I didn’t have. I placed my hands on my lower back and drew in a long, painful breath, hoping it would chase off the dizziness.
“We did it.”
His weak smile had a strong effect on me.
I turned toward the farmland, our temporary destination, sagging against the fence as sudden relief washed over me.
From where we stood, we could not see the huts, which were hidden from view by rows of lush plants that emitted a strong smell I recognized but could not place. I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes and removed them again. My vision had cleared, and I recognized plants that stretched out in rows before us.
“You do know what those are, right?” Owen asked in a dusty voice.
“I thought I was mistaken.” The first time I encountered a cannabis plant was back in college, when another student was suspended for growing weed in his dorm room. But I had never come across cannabis being grown on such a large scale before.
“Nope.” Owen leaned in closer to the fence and touched one of the leaves, rubbing it between his fingers. “Definitely weed.”
“What should
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