A Memory Worth Dying For Read Online Free PDF Page A

figure: black clothes, a black cloth where eyes should be.
    A scream hung in her throat. She pushed herself off the slippery cement and jerked herself into a run—all the time squeezing the metal tube in her hand.
    She only made it five steps before a hand grabbed the back of her shirt and jerked her to a stop. Rough hands shoved her to the ground all in a single movement. Her face hit the wet cement, and a nasty taste filled her mouth. She screamed and pushed at the ground, but the man behind her mashed her into the grit.
    She twisted and fought with the figure behind her, trying to get away. He roughly jammed his knee in the small of her back. His hands pulled her left hand behind her and propped his knee on her wrist. She felt something in her elbow pop, and pain swept through her body.

FIVE
    TEXAS
    THE THEATRE LIGHTS FLASHED THREE times, and Daniel touched Veronica’s arm. “Come on, Nikki, they’re closing the building. It’s late.”
    Veronica frowned at Daniel and finished her conversation with her friends, laughing for the second time at a simple joke.
    Daniel propped himself tolerantly against the wall of the theatre and crossed his arms. His patience was wearing thin after the last several hours.
    Veronica had insisted he take her to the International Jewelry Exhibition before the show at the theatre. That was certainly a mistake. She did nothing but hint, maneuver, and solicit conversation during the entire exhibit about how beautiful and stylish the contemporary wedding rings were. The subject of weddings seemed to be interjected into many of their conversations lately. She’d been hinting for two weeks about combining their schedules, their vacations coming up in the summer—even moving some of their breeding stock together in a common pasture between the two farms.
    Agitation, uncertainty, and dread were perfect words to describe how he felt about what seemed to be imminent—a marriage.
    Was he ready for that next step? Daniel’s first attempt at marriage had ended in disaster, and he’d only been married four years. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for another attempt. He liked Veronica and was comfortable with her, but how would he feel if marriage was in their future? He wasn’t sure.
    He shrugged and followed Veronica and her boisterous friends as they exited the theatre. The valet handed him the keys to his car, and Daniel put a bill in his hands. The man’s eyes lit up at the size of the tip, and he bowed. “Have a nice evening, sir.”
    Daniel smiled and opened the door for Veronica, who finally said goodbye to her friends. She raised her nose in the air and slid into the seat.
    When he got into the car, Daniel could feel the frostiness emanating from her stiff posture.
    “I told you not to call me that disgusting name . . . Nikki . Honestly, Daniel, you would think since we are so close you would make some sort of effort to please me. You know I hate that nickname, yet you insist upon using it. Can you not think of a more dignified name? Nikki sounds so . . . so childish. Don’t you think the name Vera sounds much more sophisticated?”
    “I’ve called you Nikki since we were little. Why break tradition?”
    She leaned back, closed her eyes, and sniffed. “Well, break it anyway.” Then she leaned forward and touched his hand lightly. “You love me, don’t you?”
    “Of course.”
    “Then do it for me because it’s what I want, darling.”
    Daniel didn’t answer but watched her eyes flirting with him. He slid the car in gear and pulled out of the lot toward home. The bugs swarming around the streetlights touched a chord of melancholy in his heart. His life seemed a lot like theirs—always revolving around one bright thing. His bright light was Veronica. Everything he did lately circled around their time together, just like the moths circled around the streetlight. Were the moths happy, or did they feel the pull of freedom tugging at their hearts?
    He frowned. He was