Savannah Past Midnight Read Online Free PDF

wait, I
watch the streaky beams of the truck come down the lone dirt
drive.
    I rush to the truck and in the darkness watch my
father get out, his battered Stetson clutched tightly in his right
hand. He looks older, beaten down. He won’t meet my eyes.
    My lips tremble as I ask, “Pa, where’s Vivian?”
    “Gone.”
    “Gone?” I repeat the single word, not
understanding.
    “Too late. Nothin’ they could do. Organs started
shuttin’ down on the drive there.”
    “But, but, they can fix her. I saw on TV they have
medicine for snakebites—anti-venom I think it’s called—right Pa?
They’re gonna fix her, ain’t they? Never heard of nobody dyin’ of a
snakebite.”
    I gasp and stumble back as he rages at me, “That’s
because you ain’t never seen a small girl get struck seventeen
times by rattlers and have to wait close to three hours for
treatment! They pumped her full of that shit—I watched ’em do their
best—but she was already in a coma. Now know this, boy, now and
forever, I put this all on your head, Colton.”
    I stand alone, shaking in the night as he turns and
walks away from me.
    “Vivian?” I whisper helplessly into the air.
    Her reply never comes.

Chapter
Four
2:15 a.m.—Present
Day
Club Sub-Zero,
Broughton Street, Savannah
    T he smooth, rhythmic strains
of “Greyhound” by Swedish House Mafia throb in perfect unison with
the rapid flashes from the overhead strobe lights as I wind my way
through designer-clad bodies, heading toward the roped-off VIP area
of the ultra exclusive nightclub. Tristan’s pale eyes are watching
me with chilling potency as I close the distance between us. He
nods to one of his men to release the latch of the leather rope,
which obviously makes him feel quite important.
    “Cosette, it’s been a while, my darling.”
    “Not long enough.”
    His mouth tightens in distaste at my insult, but he
shows no other sign that he’s affected before smoothly offering,
“You look stunning as always. Please join me. Belvedere and
tonic?”
    “No. I’m here for one reason, Tristan, you know
that.”
    With an exasperated sigh, he waves his men away
before leaning forward, both forearms resting on the thighs of his
gray designer suit. “Cosette, I’ll be straight with you. I want us
to put the past behind us. I want you back in my life. I want
things to be how they were before you moved out. And before you
respond, know that declining my offer would be a grave, regrettable
mistake.”
    He can’t be serious. Threats? I thought this would be
a meeting about information regarding the recent attacks, and here
he is, turning it into something to benefit his needs.
Narcissist.
    “You’re one hundred percent declined. That ship
sailed long ago, Tristan. Now, do you have the information I’m here
for, or was the phone call just a ploy to get face time?”
    He pats the black leather seat beside him. “Sit with
me.”
    I’m boiling with anger at his arrogance. “No. You
can’t smooth-talk me, not after what you’ve done. Now, you have
exactly five seconds to tell me what I came for tonight or I’m
gone. Five, four, three ….”
    He straightens and runs his right hand back through
his long, flaxen hair. His controlled power is undeniable as he
muses, “All right, all right, always so tenacious, Cosette.
Actually, that is one of the qualities I’ve always loved in
you.”
    Seething inside, I lean in and hiss cruelly, “Really?
That’s interesting, Tristan, because that quality couldn’t possibly have been in the forefront of your mind when you
repeatedly tried to turn me against my own uncle by filling my head
with black lies. Or to give another example, when I caught you with
Sonia’s mouth wrapped around your cock. I see that this meeting is
nothing but a complete waste of my time.”
    He’s livid as I spin around and cut back the way I
came.
    I hear his voice behind me calling out to his men in
barely contained rage, “Bring her back to me. Now!”
    He