Defiance: A House Divided (The Defending Home Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

Gaines and Mayor Reid,
    We received your ransom note and have considered your offer. Here is our response. To leave our property and the security it affords us would accomplish nothing apart from placing everyone here in grave danger.
    Too much blood has already been spilled. Can’t we set aside our differences and work together to stop this senseless carnage? The people of Encendido are thirsty and we’re willing to share some of our water with the town, but we have a few conditions. Before any of that, we need proof that Shane is still alive. Once that’s been established, then we can set up a time and place to discuss terms.
    When he was done, Dale folded the letter and placed it in the envelope. “Well done, Brooke.” His lips were curled into a smile, even though he couldn’t help but wonder whether he was starting down that slippery slope he’d feared from the very beginning. He turned to Sandy. “Get on the radio to the sheriff’s office and tell him if he wants our answer he’ll find it by the mesquite tree across the street.”
    She nodded and moved past them, disappearing into the house.
    “Do you think it’ll work?” Brooke asked, her large brown eyes lacking the innocence they’d once possessed. 
    Dale pulled her in close. “Sheriff Gaines may not be a good man, but he isn’t unreasonable.” Even as the words passed his lips, Dale struggled to believe they were true.

Chapter 6
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    E veryone was inside when the pickup raced down the long dusty road. Dale watched from the front window while Colton, Zach and Brooke scanned the other avenues of approach to ensure they weren’t falling for some sort of distraction. Although the truck’s windows were tinted, Dale knew well enough the vehicle belonged to Ortega or one of his men. They’d searched for the cartel lieutenant’s body among the dead and had found no sign of him.
    The truck backed up until it was parallel with the tree. The passenger door swung open and closed just as quickly before the pickup sped off, a swirling cloud trailing behind it. Seemed the other side was equally worried about falling prey to an ambush. There were still fifteen minutes before the hour was up. With any luck, they might begin negotiations before the sun went down.
    Walter was lying on the bed next to Dale, his shirt peeled off, his chest wrapped with bloodstained bandages. Always attentive, Ann was by his side, holding his hand.
    “He still out?” Dale asked, standing near the window. The old man’s chest was rising and falling in a steady, albeit weak rhythm.
    Ann turned, looking up at him, a dreadfully worried expression on her face. “I’ve been telling him to hold on.”
    Dale leaned over and rubbed her thin back. Her ribs were prominent, making it feel like he was running his hand over a washboard.
    “Mind if I have a word with him?”
    Ann stood and placed Walter’s hand by his side. “Of course.” She left the room, her delicate footfalls like those of a ghost.
    Dale settled into the seat, listening to the creak as it settled under his weight. He glanced down at his own hands. There was blood on his fingers and he wondered who it might have belonged to.
    “I heard you fought well today,” he told the old man. “I’m not sure you can even hear me. But I wanted to say I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done to keep us safe.” Dale laughed. “I can almost hear what you’d say, that you were only doing your part, but without you we probably wouldn’t have... Well, let’s just say the situation would have turned out different. Stay strong, my friend. We need you.”
    When he was done, Dale said a prayer, asking for Walter to be healed, but also asking for the wisdom and the strength to do what was right.
    An hour passed with still no word from the other side about their offer. They’d used the time to bring large pieces of plywood from the barn to the front of the house, where they nailed them in place to