holding me. That it was him trying to keep me from the clutches of that hideous thing. Bret’s arms were tight around me, gripping hold of me as the creature tried to pull me away. I knew he would never let me go. Aiden was suddenly upon us, a knife in his hand. I held my breath and closed my eyes as I braced myself. I knew what these things did when they were stabbed, and it was not pretty.
A loud, ear splitting shriek rent the air. My hands slammed over my ears, an answering scream of pain almost ripped from me but I managed to suppress it in time. Bret ducked over me; I could feel his breath against my neck, the shaking that rocked his hard body. My fingers dug into his arm as another shot rang through the air. The awful screeching grew momentarily louder, blood sprayed over us as the broken tentacle whipped through the air. Blood spurted from the bullet holes as Cade fired two more shots.
The screaming ended abruptly.
Bret’s breath was loud in my ears now; I could make out the frantic beat of his heart. The thing wrapped around my leg went slack, but it did not release me. I wanted to cry, wanted to curl into a ball and sob, I never wanted to move again. I wanted to close my eyes real tight, click my heels together, and go back to a year ago when things had not been easy but they had been far better than this never ending nightmare.
“Bethany?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then why are you shaking?” I almost asked Bret why he was shaking, but I realized that he actually wasn’t shaking; it was the force of my tremors rocking him. It was unnerving to know this, but I couldn’t stop myself. “It’s ok, we’re safe right now.”
I bit on my lip as I managed a brief nod. It was Cade that un-wrapped the remains of the tentacle from my leg. Bret helped me to my feet, for a moment I was terrified that my wobbling legs would not hold me, but they did. Bret rubbed my arms gently as he held me before him. “The thing?” I managed to croak out.
“Dead.” Cade was beside us, my revolver in his hand. He slid a bullet into it, spun the cylinder, and slammed it shut. He studied me for a long moment, his eyebrows drawn together as he handed the gun toward me again. “Are you going to be ok with this?”
“Maybe she shouldn’t have it,” Bret protested instantly.
“Bethany?” Cade inquired.
I swallowed heavily and forced myself to nod. “ Of course I will.”
“Beth…”
“I need something to help protect us Bret.”
“We’re fine for now.”
“For now ,” I reiterated.
His soft green eyes were dark, hesitant. I could see the worry and fear in them. I could also see the love. He touched my cheek lightly as he took a step toward us. Cade thrust the revolver in between us, I took a startled step back as it was pushed in between Bret and I. Bret shook his head but didn’t protest further as I took the gun from Cade again.
CHAPTER 8
I staggered through the door of the antique shop. My legs were shaking, my stomach heaved as I slumped to the floor. I could barely catch my breath; my lungs were on fire as I struggled to keep control of my shaking body. I jumped when hands seized hold of me, trying to lift me back up. “It’s ok Bethy.”
It wasn’t ok, both Aiden and I knew that, but I wasn’t about to protest. He hauled me to my feet, pulling me beside him as he led me through the store. It was a good thing that Aiden was more graceful than I was, I would have knocked everything in the store over if he hadn’t been leading me. My stomach rolled again, bile burned the back of my throat but I refused to vomit, I would not lose the meager contents of my stomach here.
“Stairs Bethy, where are the stairs?” he hissed in my ear.
I managed to raise a tremulous arm and point in the direction of where the stairs were. He took a sharp
A loud, ear splitting shriek rent the air. My hands slammed over my ears, an answering scream of pain almost ripped from me but I managed to suppress it in time. Bret ducked over me; I could feel his breath against my neck, the shaking that rocked his hard body. My fingers dug into his arm as another shot rang through the air. The awful screeching grew momentarily louder, blood sprayed over us as the broken tentacle whipped through the air. Blood spurted from the bullet holes as Cade fired two more shots.
The screaming ended abruptly.
Bret’s breath was loud in my ears now; I could make out the frantic beat of his heart. The thing wrapped around my leg went slack, but it did not release me. I wanted to cry, wanted to curl into a ball and sob, I never wanted to move again. I wanted to close my eyes real tight, click my heels together, and go back to a year ago when things had not been easy but they had been far better than this never ending nightmare.
“Bethany?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then why are you shaking?” I almost asked Bret why he was shaking, but I realized that he actually wasn’t shaking; it was the force of my tremors rocking him. It was unnerving to know this, but I couldn’t stop myself. “It’s ok, we’re safe right now.”
I bit on my lip as I managed a brief nod. It was Cade that un-wrapped the remains of the tentacle from my leg. Bret helped me to my feet, for a moment I was terrified that my wobbling legs would not hold me, but they did. Bret rubbed my arms gently as he held me before him. “The thing?” I managed to croak out.
“Dead.” Cade was beside us, my revolver in his hand. He slid a bullet into it, spun the cylinder, and slammed it shut. He studied me for a long moment, his eyebrows drawn together as he handed the gun toward me again. “Are you going to be ok with this?”
“Maybe she shouldn’t have it,” Bret protested instantly.
“Bethany?” Cade inquired.
I swallowed heavily and forced myself to nod. “ Of course I will.”
“Beth…”
“I need something to help protect us Bret.”
“We’re fine for now.”
“For now ,” I reiterated.
His soft green eyes were dark, hesitant. I could see the worry and fear in them. I could also see the love. He touched my cheek lightly as he took a step toward us. Cade thrust the revolver in between us, I took a startled step back as it was pushed in between Bret and I. Bret shook his head but didn’t protest further as I took the gun from Cade again.
CHAPTER 8
I staggered through the door of the antique shop. My legs were shaking, my stomach heaved as I slumped to the floor. I could barely catch my breath; my lungs were on fire as I struggled to keep control of my shaking body. I jumped when hands seized hold of me, trying to lift me back up. “It’s ok Bethy.”
It wasn’t ok, both Aiden and I knew that, but I wasn’t about to protest. He hauled me to my feet, pulling me beside him as he led me through the store. It was a good thing that Aiden was more graceful than I was, I would have knocked everything in the store over if he hadn’t been leading me. My stomach rolled again, bile burned the back of my throat but I refused to vomit, I would not lose the meager contents of my stomach here.
“Stairs Bethy, where are the stairs?” he hissed in my ear.
I managed to raise a tremulous arm and point in the direction of where the stairs were. He took a sharp
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