Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

still hadn’t moved from where he’d fallen. I clamped a Another man stepped inside the Pork Pit, closed the door hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. behind him, and turned around. Even above the roaring in
    “You know,” Douglas said, rolling up his shirtsleeves. “I’m my ears, I could still hear the bolt click home. Locking us in. going to enjoy beating you to death, Lane. It’s been a while
    “Dad!” Finn yelled.
    since I’ve gotten my hands good and bloody.”
    Finn started toward his injured father, but the man My stomach lurched, and for a moment, I thought I might stepped in front of Fletcher’s prone form and backhanded vomit. My mother, my older sister, Annabella, my baby sister, Finn. The teenager flew across the room. He too hit a table, Bria. In the last few months, I’d lost everyone I’d ever cared bounced off, slid to the floor, and was still. I stood behind the about. I couldn’t lose Fletcher too. I just couldn’t. He’d been counter, eyes wide, not believing this was really happening. the only person who’d shown me any kindness, any compas— Not now. Not again. Please, please, not again. sion. He was the only one left who cared whether I lived or
    “You should have taken the job, Lane,” the strange man died.
    growled.
    But what could I do? Douglas wouldn’t stop until Fletcher Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 134-135
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    136 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 137
    was dead—or he was. He’d said as much, and Fletcher was My aim must have been better than I’d thought, bein no position to fight back. Not now. cause Douglas’s hazel eyes bulged in surprise and pain. But In that moment, I knew what I had to do if I wanted to he didn’t go down. He staggered back. I kept my grip on save Fletcher, if I wanted to save myself and the fragile little the knife, and it slid free from his chest. Blood coated my bubble of life, of normalcy, of security, that I’d built at the fingers like hot grease, burning my skin. I wanted to drop Pork Pit.
    the weapon. Oh, how I wanted to drop it. I might have, if My gray eyes skipped down to the knife I still clutched, Douglas hadn’t started laughing.
    the one I’d been chopping onions with. A strange calm settled
    “Stupid bitch,” he said. “You think one little stab wound over me, and my fingers tightened around the handle until is going to stop me? I’ll enjoy making you pay for that.”
    the stainless steel imprinted itself over the silverstone spider He came at me again, fist drawn back, but I didn’t hesi— rune scar on my palm.
    tate. Before he could hit me, I lurched forward and stabbed
    “Leave him alone,” I said and dropped the knife below him again. I felt the blade slide off something in his chest. the counter, out of the giant’s line of sight. A rib, maybe, or some other bone. The sensation made me Douglas stopped rolling up his sleeves long enough to stare want to retch.
    at me. “What did you say, little girl?”
    Douglas screamed again, louder this time, and his beefy I drew in a breath. “I said leave him alone, you fat, ugly, hand tangled in my brown hair, yanking my head back until cow-faced bastard.”
    I thought my neck would break. Out of the corner of my eye, Douglas’s eyes narrowed. “Well, aren’t you a feisty one? A I saw the glitter of yellowish fangs in his mouth. A vampire. shame you’re going to die so young—and so painfully.”
    He was a giant, and he was vampire. One who wanted to The giant stepped over Fletcher and started toward me. drink my blood to replace his own.
    Fletcher reached out, trying to stop him, but he was too weak Panic filled me. Before he could sink his teeth into my and injured to hold onto the bigger, stronger man. I stayed neck, I wrested the knife out of his massive chest and plunged where I was behind the counter and moved my right arm it into his body again.
    behind my leg, hiding the knife. Douglas came around the And again.
    counter and reached for me.
    And again.
    His left hand grabbed my shoulder, yanking me toward Over and over I stabbed him, blood and tears and mucus him. Something wrenched in my arm, and pain exploded in covering me like a second skin. Someone was screaming. Me. my body. His right fist was already drawing back to hit me. Douglas let go of my hair and slid to the floor, but I didn’t Somehow, I pushed the pain away, gulped down a breath, stop my assault. He kicked out, catching my leg. My knee lunged forward, and slammed the