Read Online The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker - Free Book Online

mountain ramparts towered against the near distance. A loud, distant voice carried to them from
     deeper inside the compound. With a glance back, Brad met the eyes of the woman in yellow, who was still staring at him with
     fixed interest.
    She must have mistaken his glance as an invitation, because the moment she saw his look, she started to walk toward them.
     Nikki got out and the woman pulled up, looking from one to the other. Cheerful and harmless looking, she was maybe in her
     sixties, with gray hair and bright eyes.
    Her eyes settled on Brad. “You are very wonderfully built. I could do you, right here in the bushes. Would you pose for me?
     You like my poodles? I started on them this morning, because Sami said he hated dogs. I love dogs and I love pigeons but it
     takes twenty-seven pigeons to fill one poodle. Poodles aren’t like rats, because rats breed quickly and eat crackers. My favorite
     crackers are sodium-free.”
    She said it all with a warm smile.
    “Thank you, Flower.” Another gray-haired woman, probably in her early fifties, had appeared from the administration building.
     She possessed the lean, compact features of so many foothills residents. Piercing blue eyes, slim wrists sporting a dozen
     silver bangles and bracelets of the most intricate design. She was dressed in jeans and a white blouse. Three silver chains,
     one supporting a rhinestone-studded cross, hung from her neck. She looked like someone who fully intended to take what life
     owed her, but she managed to pull it off without appearing gaudy.
    “I think this kind gentleman would look wonderful on our front lawn. What a nice offer.” She looked at Brad with knowing eyes
     and winked. “What do you say, Mr. Raines? It would only take her half an hour, she’s quite skilled.”
    He was caught flat-footed. This must be Allison Johnson. Was she serious?
    “No?” she asked. “We’re in a bit of a rush, are we?”
    “Actually, yes, we are a bit pressed for time.”
    The administrator addressed Flower, who stared motionless, awaiting a verdict. “I’m sorry, Flower, he’s in a hurry. Can you
     do him from memory?”
    A grin flashed on Flower’s face, and she spun away without another word. She marched toward the hedges, stopped after ten
     paces, and measured him up using her hands to approximate his height and dimensions, then continued in a brisk stride.
    “Welcome to CWI,” Allison said. “Please come with me.”
    Allison Johnson struck Brad as the kind of woman who’d seen it all and remained both uncompromised and unflappable, a wise
     woman who wore her experience with beauty and grace. He found himself immediately drawn in with an ease that unnerved him
     a little.
    She led them into what looked more like a living room than a reception area. Two high-back chairs in plaid and a gold sofa
     surrounded an oval coffee table made of wood. An unlit fireplace beneath a large painting of a seaside Mediterranean village
     filled the brick wall adjacent the couch. Large windows looked out to the inner courtyard, and beyond that to a large lawn
     with another fountain, several wrought-iron benches, and two sprawling maples. A few residents loitered about the grounds,
     some dressed in jeans, others in slacks, one in what appeared to be night clothes or a smock.
    Allison faced them. “Would you like to sit inside, or would you rather wander the grounds with me?”
    “Well…” Brad still felt oddly off balance.
    “They won’t bite, Special Agent Raines. My children are rarely violent.”
    “Rarely?”
    “Well, come on—we all like to throw a tantrum now and then.”
    Brad nodded at the lawn. “After you, then.”
    “A good choice.” She turned and pushed open a glass door. “We are very proud of our home.” A light breeze rustled through
     the massive maples’ leaves above them. The setting was entirely serene. Calming.
    “So, Mr. Raines, tell me how I can help you.”
    “This is Nikki—”
    “A forensic