Chasing Paradise Read Online Jessica Gadziala

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Suspense Tags Authors: Jessica Gadziala Advertisement

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I was a bounty hunter.

I roughed people up on occasion, sure. I even practiced martial arts for fun, kicking the shit out of men twice my size.

I wasn’t a killer.

But, I realized right at that moment, what I was… was a survivor.

And if only one of us was going to climb the rest of the way up this broken bridge, it was going to be me. Because there was nothing about this man and his willingness to kill for money that suggested he would get up there, then pull me to safety too.

He’d probably cut the rope.

Then kill Wick.

Steeling my soul and stomach for what I needed to do, I gripped harder with my shaking arms, then pulled one of my legs free of the bridge.

And started to kick.

And kick.

And kick.

“Fuck this,” the guy grumbled, trying to hold himself up with his legs and one arm as his other hand went down.

I saw the glint of metal behind his back, the strap holding the gun to his body.

I pulled my leg back up as panic shot through me.

I had one shot at this.

Did I kick his face for the most damage?

His midsection for the best chance at knocking him off balance?

Sucking in a deep breath, I slammed my leg down with every bit of hopeless fear within me.

Right into his hand.

I watched in horror as his hand opened.

As the rope slipped.

Then, in slow motion, as his whole body arched back and fell.

His scream filled my ears as I squeezed my eyes shut.

There was no thud, not from so far up.

Just an eerie, telling silence.

My whole body was shaking as I opened my eyes again, looking up toward safety.

I had to go.

Before I lost more strength trying to hold on.

Everything in me screamed to stay, to wait. But wait for what? To be rescued? Who was coming for me? Wick was silent.

Injured?

Dead?

Off running to save his own life?

It didn’t matter.

All that mattered was I was on my own. I had to get myself up.

As I reached one arm carefully up, then the other, I decided that as soon as I got back to Navesink Bank, I owed my cousin Chris an apology for each time I grumbled about the massive wood and rope obstacle course she insisted we train on at least every other month.

She was right.

You never knew when your upper body strength might just save your whole damn life.

My legs weren’t entirely useless. Each time my arms went up another foot or so, they each went to a new rung and pushed. But it was almost a completely upper body workout the whole way up.

And the further I went, the more my body shook at the prospect of a fall.

The cliff scraped against my back as I went, and little trickles of blood mingled with the sweat pouring down my spine.

“Okay. Okay. You’re okay.”

I was categorically not okay.

I was shaking so hard that the whole bridge was vibrating too. And my sweaty palms were making me scared to reach any higher. But the fatigue in my arms was assuring me that if I didn’t get to the top soon, I was going to fall.

So I thought happy thoughts.

A cold shower.

Air conditioning.

A huge coffee.

Tacos.

A soft bed.

Tangled in the sheets with Wick.

Hey, if these were my last living thoughts, I was going to let the fantasies fly.

And, hey, I went up one more foot, then another. Then, finally, my back met nothing but open air.

I was at the top.

“Okay. Alright. Almost done,” I coaxed myself on as I needed to turn myself around to the front of the rope, so I could crawl up onto the ground.

I collapsed down onto my knees, gasping for air over and over. But with panic and strain racking my system, it seemed that no matter how much I tried to catch a breath, the more it eluded me.

I was still there on my knees when I heard it.

Him.

I heard him.

“Violet! Violet!”

I didn’t stop to think.

I rushed to my feet and ran toward the sound of his voice.

“Violet!”

I rounded a tree, and then there he was. Running, bloody, frantically looking for me.

I flew at him, knocking him back a step. Then to my horror, a loud sob escaped me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Wick

I felt like the whole fucking world tipped off its axis as that bridge broke away and swung through the air.

I couldn’t imagine the panic surging through Violet as she flew through the air, holding on for dear life, knowing that if she didn’t, there would be no surviving the fall.

I had every fucking intention of rushing to the edge as soon as she hit the cliffside, grabbing the bridge, and slowly pulling her up.

Then the bullets started to fly.

And I had no choice but to duck for cover. Then, as even that didn’t stop the bullets from flying, run.

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