Scarlet Angel Read Online Free PDF

her chest.
    Scarlett’s fingers closed on the brass shaft of a
candlestick sitting on the table. She swung her hand up hard and
felt the impact of her weapon against the side of the man’s
head.
    In the black of near unconsciousness, the grip on
her throat disappeared. The candlestick slipped from her fingers
and clattered to the floor. A second later, she followed.
    Scarlett landed on her hands and knees and gasped
for air. Pain ripped through her chest as the oxygen-starved
muscles struggled for every molecule. Her neck burned with each
breath she took in and every cough she hacked out.
    She struggled against the void. All she could hear
was the pounding of her own heart, the ragged sounds of her labored
breaths and the dry hacking of her coughs. After a few minutes, her
heart slowed and her breathing became almost normal. Between
coughs, she heard Cash’s and Ruby’s muffled shouts from the other
room.
    A fresh round of agony tore through her throat when
she spoke “It’s okay... I’m okay, I think.”
    She opened her eyes and blinked away tears. A few
feet away, she saw her assailant lying on the ground with his eyes
closed.
    Scarlett climbed to her feet and was gripped by a
new kind of terror. Surrounding the man’s head was a growing pool
of blood.
     

Chapter 6
The First
    What is murder? Is it the taking of an innocent
life? Is it killing a scumbag who really deserved it? Even if he
killed you first?
    * * *
    Scarlett stared at the motionless body lying face
down on the floor. She thought it funny that she would notice the
man’s grimy plaid shirt, stained jeans and sweat-soaked hair.
Looking over the body, she realized she didn’t even know the name
of the man she just killed.
    Or did I?
    Her attacker’s back rose and fell in shallow
breaths. He was alive.
    Relief and disappointment rushed over her. She
didn’t want to kill anyone, even though she wanted him dead.
Scarlett could not reconcile those two feelings.
    A low moan escaped from the man’s lips. His hand
twitched and Scarlett sprang into action. She reached down, pulled
the small pistol from his waistband, and shoved it into her
own.
    Scarlett marched out of the room and into the
kitchen. Ruby and Cash sat against the far wall, still bound to
their chairs with gags in their mouths. “Are you guys okay?”
    The two mumbled their confirmations.
    She ran over to Cash and fumbled with the knots
holding his wrists. After a few moments, the rope loosened and came
undone. Once Cash’s hands were free, Scarlett moved to the sink.
“Help her out, please. I need to take care of something.” Scarlett
filled a glass of water and left the room.
    Back in the living room, Scarlett grabbed her
attacker by his greasy shirt and yanked him onto his back. She
reached down and lifted one eyelid to see only white.
    She set the glass on the narrow table nearby. Oh
no you don’t. With a strength she did not know she had, she
seized the man’s shirt and lifted him to his feet. Scarlett slammed
him into the wall where he’d held her just moments ago.
    She grabbed the glass of water and splashed it
across the man’s face He sputtered a breath. “What the hell?”
    Scarlett shoved the man against the wall, sending
more drywall to the floor. “Who sent you?”
    His eyes crossed for a moment then he focused on her
face. “What?”
    “ I said ‘Who sent
you’!”
    The man smiled faintly and closed his eyes. “Piss
off.”
    Scarlett pulled the man away from the wall and
shoved him into the depression again. “Tell me.”
    “ Why? He’s gonna kill me
anyway.”
    He? Scarlett felt the wind fall from her
sails.
    Her grip relaxed. The intruder took advantage of her
distraction and thrust his arms up. Scarlett’s hands came free. She
stumbled back enough to let the man’s wild haymaker miss her nose
by a few inches.
    Scarlett’s martial arts training kicked in again. In
her mind, she saw the moves play out. She guided his passing hand
and pushed it, spinning him