Deadly Ties Read Online Free PDF

all be okay.”
That hit him like a sucker-punch to the gut. So brave. So strong . But she needed reassurance too. “How long?”
“Three months if things go well tomorrow.”
He blew out a sharp breath. She’d be gone before Christmas. If things go well . “And if they don’t?”
“Please don’t make me answer that.”
“Okay, baby.” He cranked the engine. He needed to get home. Before she went into surgery, he had to see her. He pulled back onto the highway. They talked and soothed and sobbed some more, and finally, somewhere near Roanoke, Virginia, he accepted the truth.
There would be no chance.
His beloved Angel was dying.

3

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
—PROVERBS 4:18
Present Day
G et up on the balls of your feet.” Lisa Harper walked across the Crossroads Crisis Center exercise studio to Kelly Walker. “In that position, he’ll attack you from the left. You need to be able to pivot and get your arm up. Then when he does attack, you twist and bring your arm down. That will break his hold.” She hiked her leg and feigned a kick to Kelly’s right knee. “Pop his kneecap and he’s down. You can get away.”
Sweat-drenched, Lisa dabbed at her face with her sleeve and shoved strands of damp hair that had escaped her ponytail away from her eyes. She addressed the twenty-four students in her self-defense class: all women-in-jeopardy from people who wanted them hurt or dead. Her chest went tight. “Everybody got that?”
Some mumbled, Kelly nodded, and Melanie Ross, the Crossroads Crisis Center receptionist, groaned. “Not me,” Mel said. “Not yet. Can you show us again?”
If it would help, Lisa would show them fifty more times. “Sure.” Movement from the door caught her eye, and she glanced over just as Mark walked in with a man she didn’t recognize. She ignored a little flutter in her heart and smiled. “Ah, good. Mark. Come help me demonstrate.”
The man with him took a seat on the bleachers, and Mark walked out to where Lisa stood before the class. He nodded a greeting to the women. “What are we doing, Lisa?”
“Self-defense tactics. Level one.”
For the next fifteen minutes, Lisa and Mark demonstrated escape-and-evade tactics. Winded and worn, they wrapped up. The class applauded.
Mel got to her feet. Dressed funky as usual in lime green and hunter orange, she rubbed her neck. Her hair stood in short, gelled chocolate spikes that hadn’t moved an inch during the entire class. “It’ll take me a year to learn all that, but if Mark’s helping you teach it, I’ll gladly invest the time.”
The class laughed.
“You’re adorable, Mark Taylor.” Mel batted her eyes, flirting and clowning around at the same time.
“Back off, sister.” Lisa smiled, but she meant it. Why she should feel so proprietorial toward Mark she had no idea. But she always had. She peeked over at him. He winked at her and something in his eyes softened. She loved his eyes. Dark gray, flecked with deep blue and hints of gold. Intoxicating. “Sorry, Mark.”
“No problem.” He grinned at Mel. “If you were ten years older, we might have something to talk about, sweet stuff. Until then, consider me your big brother.”
Mel pouted. “Just what I need. Another overprotective relative.”
Lisa laughed because she was overprotective. She tried to watch herself, but she didn’t always succeed. “Here we go. One more time.” She lifted her arms and signaled Mark. “Come on. I’m ready.”
“Are you?” A spark lit in his eyes.
Her breath escaped. “Give it your best shot.”
“Seriously?”
She nodded, motioned him to bring it on.
He sidestepped, then came in at an angle, moving fast. Lisa feinted left, moved right, and caught him on the ribs with a jab.
He shifted his weight and her fist slid off, doing no damage. Before he could counter, she ducked low and tight and went for his instep.
He rotated his foot and countered,