Saint/Sinner Read Online Free PDF

nodded. “I’m pretty sure, yeah.”
    “But you’re not completely sure…”
    “Before tonight, I would have told you yes, I’m absolutely one-hundred percent sure, but now…” She shook her head. “I’ve dated Walter for five months, and if you were to tell me something like this could even remotely happen, and it would be because of him, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
    “But it’s happening…”
    Allie sighed. “Yes, it’s happening.”
    They both looked back at the door, as if expecting one of the J’s to throw it open at any moment and storm inside. Except no one did, even though Allie couldn’t shake the feeling someone was out there in the hallway right now, eavesdropping on them.
    Allie took in the room again, hoping to see something she hadn’t seen before, something— anything —that would help them escape. She spent the next few minutes just looking from corner to corner, but didn’t see anything she hadn’t spotted the first time “Jones” brought them inside. There used to be a bed to their right, but it had been removed recently, leaving behind four bedpost indentations on the carpeted floor. The same for the dresser that used to sit to her left. The closet was next to the door, the open doors revealing nothing inside; they’d even taken the clothing hangers.
    She glanced over at the wall, where she’d heard voices earlier. They hadn’t taken Walter very far, just to the guest bedroom next door. She tried to listen in now, but like the last few times couldn’t make out anything remotely coherent.
    But Lucy was right—they hadn’t heard anything that sounded like pain from Walter. So what were they doing with him at this very moment? The answer, of course, was connected to what they wanted from him in the first place. Which was what…?
    “Allie,” Lucy said.
    Allie looked over. “Hmm?”
    Lucy was watching her closely when she asked, “Have you ever seen someone get shot before?”
    Seen it? I’ve done it. I shot a man from almost point-blank range and watched his brains splatter on the ground behind him.
    “Yes,” she said quietly.
    “What happened?”
    “I’ll tell you all about it when this is over.”
    “What if—”
    “No,” Allie said, cutting her off. “You have to believe we’ll get out of this. That’s the only way we’ll make it. You have to believe, and do whatever I tell you without hesitation. Can you do that?”
    Lucy didn’t answer right away, but Allie could see that the teenager had regained a lot of her composure, despite how messy she currently looked.
    Finally, Lucy nodded with a resoluteness that made Allie proud.
    “Good,” Allie said. “Now, before they come back, we—”
    She didn’t get the chance to finish, because they both heard the clacking of the padlock moving on the other side of the door.
    “Come here,” Allie said, holding out her arms.
    Lucy scooted over until she was sitting against Allie, who slid both arms around the smaller girl.
    “Don’t look at him,” she whispered. “Make yourself as small as possible. And whatever you do, don’t look at whoever comes through that door.”
    The door opened, and Jones’s large body filled the frame. He was more intimidating without the balaclava, but that could have just been because the man was not very attractive. He had something that looked like an army buzz cut and a scar almost in the shape of a half-moon over his right eye. He had a cleft chin, which somehow added to his bruising appearance. The gun belt, with its holstered sidearm, looked like toys on him. He’d had a shotgun slung over his back earlier, but she didn’t see it anywhere now.
    Jones looked at her first, before moving to Lucy. The girl’s face, pressed against Allie’s chest, trembled as if she could sense Jones’s eyes on her.
    “You,” Jones said, pointing at them. She couldn’t tell if he meant her or Lucy. “Get up.”
    “Which one?” Allie asked.
    “The girl.”
    Lucy’s body went