Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
And then, as though someone had heard her desperate thought, a bat flew against the glass front window with a loud thump!
This was not terribly uncommon—because the front of the capital A part of the cottage was mostly glass, birds and bats did sometimes fly into it. But this was a particularly large bat and it made a really loud noise on impact. Amanda jumped and gasped and Chuck jerked, looking instinctively towards the source of the noise.
Torri saw her chance and took it. Gripping the ballpoint pen in her fist, she drove it backwards, ramming it point-first into her ex-husband’s thigh as hard as she could. It went right through his jeans and deep into his flesh.
“Ow!” Chuck howled. “You little bitch!”
He reached for her but Torri had already scrambled out of the chair and around the table. She ran for the front door but Amanda was in the way. She threw the half-full gas tank at Torri’s head, so Torri had to take a moment to duck. As she tried to dodge around the angry woman, she felt a hand close on the back of her nightgown and then Chuck yanked her back down.
Torri fell backwards, flat on her back, and hit her head hard on the wooden floor. Colored lights flashed before her eyes and then her ex was on top of her, sitting on her stomach with all his considerable weight so she couldn’t breathe.
Leaning over her, Chuck pinned her wrists above her head and glared down into her face. His eyes were angry and the dark, pelt-like toupee he was wearing had gone askew in the scuffle—it was sitting slantwise on his head like a jaunty French beret.
Another hysterical laugh rose in Torri’s throat at the crazy sight, but Chuck’s weight was pressing down on her so hard she could barely breathe.
“You know, I was going to try and talk Amanda into letting you live, you little bitch,” he snarled at Torri. “But now I think she’s right—you and this cabin both deserve to burn.” He looked up at his mistress. “Only we can’t use gasoline, baby—they can tell when you do that. But I’m sure this old cabin will burn just fine without it.”
“Good!” Amanda gave Torri a triumphant grin. “You’re gonnna burn, bitch—burn!” she crowed.
“But first you’re going to finish signing those papers,” Chuck growled down at her, his face looming into hers. “And then—”
Suddenly there was a loud bang at the front of the house. At first Torri thought the wind had blown the door open but then she heard Amanda squeal in surprise and rushing footsteps.
“How dare you harm my female?” a low, angry voice above her head growled. A huge fist came into view in a blur and punched Chuck right in the face.
It all happened so fast, Torri had no idea what was going on. As her ex cried out and let go of her arms, he was punched again and shoved off her, finally allowing her to breathe normally. She rolled over on her side, gasping. Chuck was also lying on his side on the floor, passed out cold.
“What—?” she began and then Vic was pulling her into his arms and looking down into her face anxiously. His eyes were red but as he looked at her, they slowly changed back to blue.
“Sweetheart—are you okay?” he asked her. “Did they hurt you?”
“Vic?” she could hardly believe it. How could he be here when she knew he was supposed to be in stasis on the Mother Ship? But before she could ask, she had to shout, “Behind you!” because Amanda had grabbed the poker from the fireplace and was about to swing it at the big Kindred’s head.
Vic whirled around and grabbed the poker out of her hand with superhuman speed. He threw it across the room with a clatter and Amanda gasped and took a step back. She tripped over a throw rug and sat down hard on her butt, her wig going askew so that it was twisted partially around, hiding half of her face with its furry blonde abundance.
Outside, there was the sound of sirens.
“What…who called the police?” Torri gasped, looking out the big glass windows at the front, as she saw the flashing red and blue lights coming up the driveway.
“I placed a call to your local authorities as I was coming here—I was afraid I wouldn’t be in time.” Vic cupped her cheek in his hand, an anxious look on his face. “Was I in time? Are you all right, sweetheart? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“I…I’m fine.” Torri rubbed her wrists where the handcuffs had left red marks and then touched the back of her head, which ached where it had connected with the hardwood floor. “Just a little scared but I’m okay now that you’re here.”