Winter's Dream (The Hemlock Bay Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Amber Jaeger
now, if that’s still what you want,” Jordan said sadly from the doorway.
I nodded my head and forced myself not shrink away from his imposing uncle.
Jordan wouldn’t look at me. “You won’t change your mind? There’s really nothing I can do to help?” he asked, remembering my harsh words.
I opened my mouth to say no and then paused. His head snapped up hopefully. “There is one thing you can do,” I said, regretting the words as soon as they left my lips.
“Anything,” he swore.
I took a deep breath before speaking. “I have a friend, a new friend, that’s stuck in that awful place and shouldn’t be. Her name is Minnie.” I paused, praying I was doing the right thing and not just bringing more trouble down on her head. “Maybe you could find a way to get her out of there and to somewhere better. Not her home! Her dad is evil. Maybe a foster home with nice people, or—”
“I’ll take care of it,” he interrupted softly.
I stared at his face for a moment, lingering over his dark curls and perfect mouth. Then I turned to David. “I’m ready to go back.”
He nodded and reached for me.
“Wait,” I gasped. “What about Clint? What did he see? Is he just waiting for me to come back so he can kill me?”
David glanced at Jordan. Jordan gave me a carefully bland look. “Clint is gone.”
“Gone where?” I asked, the already familiar unease settling deeper in my stomach.
“Nowhere. Just gone.”
I knew what he meant. “Jordan, you can’t do that,” I said, wishing I didn’t feel a little glad Clint wouldn’t be bothering me or any of the other girls again.
“I did. And I’m not undoing it.” His face was unreadable.
I stepped closer to him and touched his arm. “Jordan, you don’t understand—”
“Bixby,” he breathed in my face. A warm shiver travelled down my body and I fought to control myself. “You don’t understand. We can play by your rules but that doesn’t change the fact that I love you, that you belong with me. And another man raised his fist to you, tried to—” he shook his head in disgust then smoothed his features out again and bent his face to mine. “No one does that to you and lives. And no one will miss him, they won’t even remember him.”
I opened my mouth to argue but the flames in his green eyes told me not to. We stood like that, face to face, gazing for what felt like an eternity. A small, stupid part of me wanted to close the gap and put my lips to his. I closed my eyes to break his hold over me.
“Are you ready?” David rumbled. I nodded my head, still not opening my eyes. I felt his giant hand cover my shoulder and a warm gust almost knocked me over. “Easy,” he said as I stumbled into him. My eyes flew open and I jumped away from him.
We were in the storage room. Neither Jordan nor Clint was there.
“I thought you were going to stay away,” he said, crossing his tree limb arms over his chest.
The empty room and Jordan’s empty promises temporarily fled my mind. “What? You think I did this on purpose?” I narrowed my eyes in fresh anger. “I did what you said; I broke it off with Jordan and now look where it’s gotten me.”
He glanced around, taking in the dusty, depressing settings. “Have you learned anything more about Gatekeeping?”
“From who?” I snapped. “The only one who maybe could have told me a few years ago when she still remembered is locked up in a nursing home. And her mother died before I was born. So, who would I have learned from?”
“The townies won’t fill you in?” he asked. Was he starting to look nervous? No, not possible.
“Last time I saw them they were pretty angry with me, but I haven’t seen them since I got here.”
“You haven’t been there in a month?” he thundered.
“Shut up,” I hissed, praying no one heard and came to investigate. Not that they could open the door with the metal shelving unit still in front of it.
“Bixby, I told you how serious this was. I
I nodded my head and forced myself not shrink away from his imposing uncle.
Jordan wouldn’t look at me. “You won’t change your mind? There’s really nothing I can do to help?” he asked, remembering my harsh words.
I opened my mouth to say no and then paused. His head snapped up hopefully. “There is one thing you can do,” I said, regretting the words as soon as they left my lips.
“Anything,” he swore.
I took a deep breath before speaking. “I have a friend, a new friend, that’s stuck in that awful place and shouldn’t be. Her name is Minnie.” I paused, praying I was doing the right thing and not just bringing more trouble down on her head. “Maybe you could find a way to get her out of there and to somewhere better. Not her home! Her dad is evil. Maybe a foster home with nice people, or—”
“I’ll take care of it,” he interrupted softly.
I stared at his face for a moment, lingering over his dark curls and perfect mouth. Then I turned to David. “I’m ready to go back.”
He nodded and reached for me.
“Wait,” I gasped. “What about Clint? What did he see? Is he just waiting for me to come back so he can kill me?”
David glanced at Jordan. Jordan gave me a carefully bland look. “Clint is gone.”
“Gone where?” I asked, the already familiar unease settling deeper in my stomach.
“Nowhere. Just gone.”
I knew what he meant. “Jordan, you can’t do that,” I said, wishing I didn’t feel a little glad Clint wouldn’t be bothering me or any of the other girls again.
“I did. And I’m not undoing it.” His face was unreadable.
I stepped closer to him and touched his arm. “Jordan, you don’t understand—”
“Bixby,” he breathed in my face. A warm shiver travelled down my body and I fought to control myself. “You don’t understand. We can play by your rules but that doesn’t change the fact that I love you, that you belong with me. And another man raised his fist to you, tried to—” he shook his head in disgust then smoothed his features out again and bent his face to mine. “No one does that to you and lives. And no one will miss him, they won’t even remember him.”
I opened my mouth to argue but the flames in his green eyes told me not to. We stood like that, face to face, gazing for what felt like an eternity. A small, stupid part of me wanted to close the gap and put my lips to his. I closed my eyes to break his hold over me.
“Are you ready?” David rumbled. I nodded my head, still not opening my eyes. I felt his giant hand cover my shoulder and a warm gust almost knocked me over. “Easy,” he said as I stumbled into him. My eyes flew open and I jumped away from him.
We were in the storage room. Neither Jordan nor Clint was there.
“I thought you were going to stay away,” he said, crossing his tree limb arms over his chest.
The empty room and Jordan’s empty promises temporarily fled my mind. “What? You think I did this on purpose?” I narrowed my eyes in fresh anger. “I did what you said; I broke it off with Jordan and now look where it’s gotten me.”
He glanced around, taking in the dusty, depressing settings. “Have you learned anything more about Gatekeeping?”
“From who?” I snapped. “The only one who maybe could have told me a few years ago when she still remembered is locked up in a nursing home. And her mother died before I was born. So, who would I have learned from?”
“The townies won’t fill you in?” he asked. Was he starting to look nervous? No, not possible.
“Last time I saw them they were pretty angry with me, but I haven’t seen them since I got here.”
“You haven’t been there in a month?” he thundered.
“Shut up,” I hissed, praying no one heard and came to investigate. Not that they could open the door with the metal shelving unit still in front of it.
“Bixby, I told you how serious this was. I