Read Slow Ride for Free Online Page B

with.”
    “Do it, man. Sam and I can handle shit here. Be sure to tell him if he needs anything,
     I can lend a hand or get some of the guys here to help out. Half of ‘em are your part-time
     crew anyway.”
    Roger grabbed his leather jacket from the couch and shrugged it on. “Thanks. I appreciate
     it. Just don’t take the fucker down until you give me a heads up. I want to be here
     when that shit happens. Take care, Cooper.”
    With that, Roger walked out the door to his truck. Cooper’s head dropped and he stared
     at his shoes searching for some control over his emotions. He knew Roger had been
     having trouble with Cheryl’s death. Hell, what sane person wouldn’t? He just hoped
     Roger would be all right on his own. But then, maybe that was what the man needed.
     Cooper wondered what it would be like to just leave town. He snorted. Like that would
     ever happen.
    Cooper walked out the door, moving across the parking lot to check the garage. Kyla
     had closed the heavier curtains over the sheers at her window, but he could see the
     flicker of light from the television between them. She was probably in bed and he
     wondered if she was wearing anything from that duffel bag. Groaning, he set the security
     alarm. He knew those were thoughts he shouldn’t be having before heading home alone.
     It would make for a long night.
    • • •
    It was cold as she lay in a pool of her own blood, her broken body finding any movement
     almost too much to take. Was her brother, Mike, okay? Why wasn’t he moving? Was he
     that still because he was dead? Tears stained her cheeks and she covered her mouth
     with her hand, groaning when she saw the spots of blood. She watched him walk toward
     her with one eye, her other already swollen shut. As he loomed over her, she struggled
     to curl into a fetal position. The air left her lungs and her body shook from the
     impact of his kick to her stomach.
    “You will not leave me. You hear me? You belong to me and even if you get away, I
     will hunt you down like the worthless bitch you are! Do you hear me?”
    She sobbed harder as he grabbed her hair to haul her body up toward his face. She
     caught a glimpse of the metal underneath his jacket, the buckle of his holster so
     close. She knew she would only get one chance at this. She lifted her battered face
     and nodded, trying to convey her acquiescence. “I’m sorry,” her voice only a whisper
     from the earlier choking she’d received. “Please, I won’t go. I swear.”
    Frank looked down on her and smiled as he gripped her hair tighter. He kissed her
     lips, covered in a mix of blood and tears. She cried out from the pressure as her
     hand moved into his jacket. When she felt the grip, she kissed him back to keep up
     the charade. She just needed to distract him for another minute or so.
    “You’re mine. Mine forever,” he hissed against her lips.
    Using what little strength she could muster, she pulled the gun into her shaking hands
     and shoved it into his chest. He pushed her back when he felt the barrel, his eyes
     wide. She remembered all those times her dad had taught her to shoot in the backyard.
     She tried to get to her feet, her knees wobbling. “Stay away from me or I will shoot
     your head off!”
    He laughed, his voice like nails on a chalkboard to her ears. “You won’t shoot me.
     You’re weak, you need me. Who’s going to take care of you? You think your daddy will
     save you? He washed his hands of you. He couldn’t handle his only daughter being the
     drug addict that you are. I’m all you got. Now give me the damn gun!”
    His words felt as bad as the earlier punches he’d given her, and in her head she was
     convinced what he was saying was true. She’d lost her way; everyone had washed their
     hands of her, everyone but Mike who was lying on the carpet in a pool of ever-expanding
     blood. He wasn’t moving. Had all her shit gotten her big brother killed? No one would
     ever forgive her