Read Online Sword of the Raven by Diana Duncan - Free Book Online Page B

muscled him around the other three guards who were just gaining their feet, and toward the exit.
    “Connor!” she cried. “What I tried to tell you before— Your parole is going be denied next week.” She shakily blurted the rest. “And they’re taking you out of isolation and putting you into general population!”
    He flashed a final, resigned smile, meant to reassure. Instead it broke her heart. “Doesn’t matter anymore. Love you, Lanie. What was mine now belongs to you.”
    Then they dragged him from the room.
    The rest of the guards staggered out, locking her inside.
    Left alone, torment worse than any physical beating lanced through Delaney. Who knew when she’d be allowed to see Connor again? If ever. Grief punched into her. Damn you, Judge Zinter! You and all your corrupt flunkies can fry in hell.
    Ninety seconds slowly circled around the clock over the mirror.
    Shouting, male roars, slamming metal and running feet broke the uneasy silence. Alarm bells jangled, sirens wailed.
    The female officer darted inside. “Inmates are rioting, they’re taking hostages! C’mon!” She grabbed Delaney’s arm and towed her down the corridor, back through locked thick glass panels, and into a receiving room. “Detective,” she yelled at Zack. “Get her outside!”
    He snatched her from the guard and hauled her through more hallways, more doorways, the metal detectors, then out the front door. He didn’t stop until they reached his rain-dappled car in the parking lot. “What the hell, Lanie? You start a riot?”
    I don’t know.
    What had she done?
    More importantly, how?
    Freezing, she wrapped her arms around herself. If she could somehow inspire destruction, perhaps…
    Keep my brother safe. She envisioned golden light surrounding him in a bright Kevlar shield. Protect Connor.
    Her body temperature plummeted as the throbbing in her temples grew unbearable. She was so cold the misty rain felt warm on her chilled skin, wrapping her in a soft, heated cocoon. For a moment, she was comforted.
    Aye, you’ll be all right, lass.
    Rowan’s voice.
    She snapped her head up. Was that him in the distance, silhouetted against the fog-draped hills?
    Her stomach heaved, then she bent double and was beastly sick.
    Supporting her, Zack held her hair back and murmured soothing words. Finally the horrible episode ended. “Okay now?”
    “Yeah,” she lied. I might never be okay.
    Zack wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. “Did they rough you up in there?”
    All she could manage was a negative head-shake.
    “Honey,” Zack said softly. “If someone hurt you, you need to tell me.”
    The thick walls masked any sounds from inside. She prayed her brother was safe inside the rioting prison. “The guards abused Connor. I got stupid.”
    “Did you see name badges?”
    The quick glimpses burned in her memory. At her nod, his jaw tightened. “It won’t happen again.”
    “You didn’t put yourself on the line for him before. Why now?” She shoved unsteadily out of his embrace. “Captain Luis told you to bring me here so Connor could order me to quit investigating, correct? Did you know they’re moving him into gen-pop? An ex-cop won’t live a week!”
    His cop face was so good she couldn’t tell if she’d surprised him or not. “How do you know they’re moving him?”
    “It doesn’t matter. Can you stop them?”
    Somber hazel eyes darkened. “It’s complicated, Delaney. Listen to Connor and back off. Before someone gets seriously injured…or worse.”
    After the past hour’s events, she was too afraid to verbalize her gut response to that. She clamped her lips together. If Zack had chosen the wrong side in this battle, he’d get his…along with depraved Judge Zinter and her crew.
    Sadly, the utter depths to which humanity would sink was no longer surprising. “Just take me back to Central Precinct.”
    Take her home. Rowan’s deep demand echoed around the empty parking lot. Drop the charges.
    Delaney