Edge of the Season Read Online Free PDF Page B

descended. People still thronged the streets and shops hunting for last-minute Christmas bargains. He could be anywhere. Any one of the people surrounding her. She moved toward the park.
    “Dani?” Cassie whispered. “What’s going on? Where’s Aunt Alyssa?”
    “Shhhh, sweetie. It’ll be okay.”
    “You shouldn’t lie to her.”
    Anger burned through her. Anger and fear. She pushed the fear aside and focused on the anger, needing its fierce burn to stop the icy paralysis of the other emotion.
    Dani needed to stall. She had to hope that Alyssa would notice they weren’t in the store. There was no way Dani was going to bring Cassie into the park.
    “Start walking, Danielle.”
    “Okay, bastard. I’m walking.” She walked across the square with a small stride and a slow pace. How was she going to get out of this? Who was behind it?
    He giggled.
    She wanted to scream. She crossed the street. And then waited on the corner for the light to change. She would just have to hide Cassie in the park. There was no way she would let this bastard near her.
    “Dani!”
    Dani whirled. Alyssa ran across the pedestrian square with her phone at her ear.
    The bastard tutted in her ear. “I will shoot her if she catches you.”
    Fuck. But this might just help her.
    “If I take her niece into the park, she’ll follow me no matter how far I run.”
    “Hmmm. I think you’re right. You may leave the girl.”
    Alyssa was closing in. She set Cassie down and covered the Bluetooth with her hand. “Aunt Alyssa is coming for you,” she whispered. “Tell her not to follow me. There’s a bad man. You mustn’t come into the park. Not for anything. Do you understand?”
    “It’s time to play, Danielle,” the Huntsman said in her ear.
    “Take your angel.” Cassie’s lip wobbled. “She’ll protect you from the bad man.”
    Dani nodded and showed the girl the rock in her jacket pocket. “I’m covered, kid.” She only wished she had Cassie’s faith.
    Dani looked back at Alyssa, who was almost at the road. Help was so close. She couldn’t be sure if the crazy man in her ear could shoot them all. She kept scanning for his location, but he could be anywhere, even in one of the buildings around them.
    “Start moving, Danielle. I will shoot the woman and then the little girl.”
    Dani dropped her purse beside Cassie and pointed out Alyssa to her. “It’ll be okay. Remember. Don’t go into the park. Understand?”
    She waited a second until Cassie nodded.
    “Good girl.” She didn’t say goodbye. She looked over her shoulder. Alyssa was crossing the street, her scowl ferocious.
    “Dani! What the hell?” she yelled.
    “She’s in my sights, Danielle,” the Huntsman said.
    Dani ran to the park’s entrance. Shadows darkened the tree-lined paths even though the pathway lights were on. A cold wind blew and clouds blocked the stars and moon. Snow was coming.
    Alyssa called for her again, but Dani didn’t look back. She couldn’t, or the panic that swirled in her stomach might overwhelm her. She forced it down. She’d dealt with brutal men before; she could do this. “Okay, asshole. I’ll bite. What kind of game is this?”
    “You have three minutes to hide in the park before I start hunting. If you try to leave the park before that time, then I’ll kill the woman and girl.”
    “How will you know if I leave?”
    He laughed. “I’ll know.”
    “You’re tracking me.” Probably through the phone or earpiece.
    “Of course I am. If you leave the park before we’re finished, I will drive back to that house you were at today and kill everyone inside. No police either. And if you try to get anyone in the park to help you, I will kill them. Then I will hunt you down and kill you. Just play the game with me, Danielle, and no one else needs to get hurt.”
    She stood at the gate. Alyssa was on the other side of the busy street, yelling at her. It suddenly sunk in. If she went into the park, some man would try to kill her.