He Can Fall: She Can Series Read Online Free PDF Page B

more his speed. He’d met Amanda the day after he’d left the army, as if destiny had slapped him on the back for making the right decision.
    Sean looked down at the first man he’d killed in ten years. As he thought about the child hiding in the underbrush, instead of the expected adrenaline high, nausea coated the back of his throat. Obviously, he wasn’t the same man he’d been all those years ago, which was a good thing. Killing could be necessary, but it should never be easy.
    He relieved the gunman of a .38 semiautomatic. Checking the load, Sean held back a curse. The magazine was empty, and so were the scumbag’s pockets. There was one bullet in the chamber. At least the switchblade was sharp. Sean pocketed the weapons.
    Grabbing the shoulders, he dragged the body toward a low, dense evergreen. With his foot, he rolled the limp form into the underbrush. Then he picked up the fallen bough and smoothed out the snow in front of the burial place. When he was satisfied that the disturbance wasn’t easy to spot, Sean scanned the woods for the little girl.
    “Mia?” he called in a quiet voice. Belatedly, he checked his clothes for blood and rubbed a spot on his sleeve with a handful of snow.
    Foliage rustled. A small head poked out. Big eyes locked on Sean. “Is he dead?”
    Good, she hadn’t seen. But her abrupt question was too blunt. Little Mia wasn’t as simple as she appeared. No doubt her former life with her father had accustomed her to violence. Her direct question deserved a direct answer.
    “Yes,” he said, watching her for a reaction.
    “Good.” She crawled out from under the pine boughs. “Then he can’t hurt us.”
    “No, he can’t,” Sean agreed. He held a hand out to her, the same hand that had just killed a man with no hesitation. He reminded himself that a hesitation could have cost both him and Mia their lives. He sent a silent prayer that he could also save his wife and the other people being held hostage.

C HAPTER F IVE
    “Put the gun down, Win.”
    Amanda cringed on the floor as Carl called off Win. Would the younger man obey or defy his partner?
    Carl climbed to his feet and retrieved his shotgun from the tile.
    “Why?” Win’s eyes glittered. “We still have a couple of hostages. We don’t need her.”
    “Maybe.” Cradling the gun in the crook of his arm, Carl rubbed his elbow. “But what if we do? You can’t unkill her later if we need her.”
    Win lowered the gun. “Maybe you’re right. I might find a need for her later.”
    “See if you can find some rope or something to tie her up.” Carl opened and closed drawers.
    Win grinned, shoving his gun into the waistband of his jeans. “I like the sound of that.” He pulled a ball of cooking twine from a nearby drawer. “I can make this work.” He walked over to Amanda. “Turn around. Put your hands behind your back.”
    Ears ringing, thighs trembling, she climbed to her feet and obeyed. Her head spun, nausea churned through her belly, and dread spurred adrenaline through her bloodstream, urging all her pain and fear to new heights.
    Win wrapped the twine around her wrists a half-dozen times, then yanked tight. The binds dug into her skin, but the agony ricocheting around inside her skull dulled her other senses. She tested her binds. The thin string was surprisingly strong, though it would be easy to cut if she could rub it on something sharp.
    “You just wait.” He pressed his lips to her ear and caressed her arms. “We are going to have a real party.”
    Amanda’s legs shook as dread raced through her body. Win slipped a hand around her waist to squeeze her breast hard to leave a bruise. A tear leaked out of her eye and rolled down her cheek.
    “Mmm.” His hot breath wafted across her neck. “You are ripe. I can almost taste you already.”
    Win stepped away, pulling her with him by the bicep. She stumbled. He kept her upright with a sharp jerk that wrenched her shoulder. When they’d reached the long