The Journey: Illustrated Edition (An Anna Kronberg Thriller) Read Online Free PDF

shocked. But what else was to be expected? Shame crawled up my cheeks, scorching my skin.  
    ‘No,’ I answered truthfully.
    He sighed. ‘How can it be so easy for you? One minute you don’t think of it, the next minute you let go, ready to drown yourself. Did I cause this, Anna?’
    ‘No, you didn’t.’ My heart slammed against my ribs and I wanted him out of this room. His presence caused a rawness of nerves I could barely endure.
    ‘But I could have prevented it,’ he said, more to himself.  
    I searched for words, but my brain wouldn’t provide anything useful.
    His eyes darkened and he rose to his feet. ‘I allowed you to stay in that man’s house for months!’ He ran a hand across his face as though to scrape off the anger. His fingers trembled slightly, his shoulders clenched.
    Seeing him like this let me surface from my own self-pity. ‘Sit, please.’
    He did as I asked, and so I continued, ‘I’m a grown woman. The path I choose to walk is my own. But I would be lying if I said I knew what I was doing or where this would lead. Every single day in captivity, I made countless decisions. After my father was set free, I chose to stay with James. It was the only logical next step. After all those days, all those decisions amounted to one horrible thing. Should I have foreseen the outcome? Perhaps. But I didn’t. Even if I had, I believe I wouldn’t have turned around. The price to pay would have been much higher than simply taking the next small step forward. At the end, James and I broke each other. None of this was your doing, Holmes.’
    But what would I have done had I known that James would impregnate me with his brood? I could see myself happily accepting the bullet the day he and Moran broke into my cottage and held a gun to my head.
    ‘What made you let go today?’ He pressed the words out. Was there still anger in his voice? To him, watching me escape life must be a defeat. Holmes, the do-gooder.
    ‘Opportunity,’ I answered. ‘A solution to all my problems presented itself, and I took it.’ I meant to say something soothing, but all I could think of was how easy it was to let go, how wonderful to sink.
    ‘So all I need to do is wait until the next opportunity presents itself?’  
    I didn’t answer. He rushed to his room.
    When he returned, he placed a revolver on my bed. ‘Spare me the torture, woman.’
    I flung the covers aside and rose to face him. ‘You want me to shoot myself while you are watching?’
    His hands clenched to fists and he bent closer. ‘You wanted me to watch you drown. Where is the difference?’
    ‘You wouldn’t have seen me die. You would have only seen me disappear. This,’ I pointed to the gun, ‘is an ugly death.’
    ‘Yes, it is indeed. Should you choose to insert it into your mouth and point upwards, pieces of your brain, skull bones, scalp, and hair will soil the wallpaper.’ He waved his hand towards the wall behind me. ‘Perhaps lying on your side instead, and shooting through your temple, would reduce the mess. If you would be so kind?’
    ‘Stop it,’ I groaned. My windpipe constricted.
    ‘Ah, I see. You are worried about the aesthetics. A blown-out brain is disgusting. A floater isn’t. Most impressive logic.’
    ‘There is no need to shout.’ I began to tremble. ‘Leave my room, please.’
    ‘In a moment.’ He picked up the revolver and pulled back the hammer. ‘Perhaps you need help?’  
    His hand shook ever so lightly. His knuckles whitened. Candlelight reflected off the weapon’s mouth.  
    ‘If you stooped but a little, you could take me in your arms.’ The words were out before I could control my mouth.
    ‘I’d rather not,’ he croaked.
    ‘You’d rather shoot me?’
    ‘You cannot bind yourself to me, Anna.’
    ‘I bound myself to you long ago.’ My gaze slid from the weapon up to his face. My hand closed around the muzzle. Two hoarse clicks and he had uncocked the gun, then loosened his grip. I placed it next