Alone Read Online Free PDF

the week before. Conall had “helped” me by sending the rest of that book to my new editor, some overpriced douche who didn’t allow slang or cussing and knew nothing about gay erotic romance. Good thing that book was under one of my gay erotic romance pen names. He’d already gotten the edits back. In a thirty-five thousand word book, there was over five hundred comments and two thousand corrections.
    I didn’t bother to open my laptop after that. Just sat out on the deck and stared at my garden, not even caring enough to go down and tend to it.
    “Nina, talk to me,” Conall begged. I couldn’t even look at him. I wouldn’t eat. I wouldn’t drink. I wouldn’t do anything besides go to the bathroom and shower. By the second day of that, he was half frantic and half furious at me.
    And I didn’t give a flying fuck.
    “Your blood has slowly gotten more and more bitter since we met, now it’s sour . I don’t understand it. What is wrong ? Please, my Nina. Just talk to me!” He touched me and I flinched, the only reaction he could get from me. “Is this about the work problems? If I fix those, will you come back to me? It’s California and overseas, right?”
    I nodded, knowing that wasn’t what was wrong, but fuck, it was the only chance I would ever, ever get to run from him.
    “I will handle it right away, I swear it to you. Please, just heal and eat while I am gone.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek before walking into the house, giving Tim some orders. I heard them walk around the house before they headed outside.
    And then I sprang into action. I’d only have one shot at this.
     

3
     
    I moved as quickly as I could for someone who hadn’t eaten in almost two days, shocked that it was still pretty fast. Conall’s blood really was a miracle substance. I grabbed my gun, knowing he’d long since unloaded it, and the clips.
    But I knew where I hid the extra bullets. They were under my flannel Christmas pajama bottoms because who would ever look there for them? I mean, really ? I tucked those under my arm and locked myself in the bathroom, loading both clips carefully.
    Then I turned on the shower and the exhaust fan so I didn’t fuck up the gun, and waited for as long as I could reasonably get away with. I shut off the water, flipped the safety, stuck the extra clip in my bra, and stepped out of the bathroom. Sure enough, the snake was waiting right outside my bedroom.
    “Get out of my house,” I ordered as I aimed at him.
    “Bitch, please. You’re just Conall’s author pet and whore. Come on, you can be my whore while he’s gone. You don’t have the stones to shoot—”
    I shot the floor at his feet. “I was in the reserves, I’m a cop’s kid, I’m a born and bred Chicagoan, and while I might be frightened of the thousand-year-old vampire , a thug like you doesn’t scare me at all . Now don’t even think about reaching for the gun you keep tucked in the back of your jeans you don’t think I know you have in the holster there, but I do because it’s poorly fitted. Take out your phone, set it on the ledge, and leave.”
    “You can’t just shoot me. That’s murder,” he argued, his voice less than sturdy.
    “ Bitch , you are in my house, uninvited by me , armed, with no relation, correlation, or tie to me. There is not a cop, DA, judge, or jury in this world that won’t believe a single woman shot an armed man in self-defense in her house. What’s the alternative? I somehow dragged your ass in here, armed you, and then shot you for kicks?”
    “You’re crazy.”
    “No, you fuckers made me go nuts. Now do it and go. Leave the phone.”
    He nodded, slowly pulling his cell out of his front jeans pocket with two fingers and leaving it on the ledge by the stairs before slowly walking down the half flight to the front door, unlocking it, and walking out. I quickly flipped the lock, knowing he didn’t have a key, before racing up the other few stairs to the garage and checking that