Free Blood Lust (The Blood Sisters Book 1) by Jill Cooper Page B

demeanor was going to get her in trouble
again. Cops always made her uneasy; they had ever since the very beginning.
    Her
morning dream certainly didn’t help. She could remember screaming and crying.
Pleading that she had nothing to do with her parents’ murder. She had only
picked up the weapon because she found it. Scared. Someone else had been in the
house that night, but nobody believed her. At least no one over the age of
eight.
    But
the past belonged in the past even if Jessica couldn’t shake it. She’d head
back to the car, wait for Amanda and then they could return to the cabin. She’d
feel safer there. Better. If they were lucky they’d have time to heat up some
burritos over a fire and maybe even bake some apples.
    Jessica
climbed the hill toward her car and saw another police officer. How many cops
did this place need anyway?
    Panic
thumped in Jessica’s chest as he hitched up his trousers and leaned over to
read her license plate number. He was running the plates.
    Oh
God.
    Jessica
felt faint. She really didn’t have time to get arrested again. She headed back
downtown—hopefully before the cop spotted her. Checking over her shoulder,
Jessica didn’t notice Amanda until she plowed into her. “Oof!” Jessica dropped
her groceries and grumbled as she bent over to catch a runaway apple.
    Amanda
helped her. “I got the money. Let’s get out of here.” Her brow furrowed.
“What’s the matter, you’re all turned up into knots.”
    “There’s
a cop running the plates on the car.” Jessica grabbed Amanda’s elbow and nudged
her to walk along.
    “Oh
no! Well, we can walk back to the cabin. It’s long, but we’ll get there in an
hour or so, right?”
    “Except
my shotgun is in the car, with my fingerprints all over it. Once the police
catch wind that I’m here…” Jessica swallowed hard. She didn’t want to use the
words “warrant” or “most wanted,” but let’s face it, her past was colorful. All
for reasons she couldn’t talk about, or explain. So much for Mom’s good little
girl.
    Amanda
raised her eyebrows and went pale. “You left your shotgun in the car? ”
    “Well
I can’t just bring it with me, can I? Excuse me, Sir, would you mind holding my
shotgun while I grab some nachos and a six pack of beer?”
    Amanda’s
nose scrunched up. “I hope you didn’t waste our money on beer. Oh, that was a
joke, wasn’t it?” Her lips twisted to the side and looked so naive that Jessica
wanted to hit her over the head. They didn’t have time for Innocent Musings by
Amanda Blood.
    Jessica grabbed her arm. “We’re
leaving. We’ll just have to take our chances on the road.”
      “Except we’ll have no wheels,” Amanda said
even though Jessica figured that all out on her own.
    They’d
just steal someone else’s car. It was best to keep on the move anyway.
      Her gut clenched from nerves, and it only grew
worse when a man and two women charged toward them followed by a police
officer. “That’s her, officer! That’s the woman who stole our wallets!”
    Crap.
Jessica’s heart pounded, but their fate wasn’t sealed yet. Amanda could be
convincing with her naïve act because for the most part it was sincere.
    Amanda’s
eyes widened and with her sweeping curls and feminine dress, she was the epitome of innocence. She put a hand on her chest. “Me? I
would never. I did no such thing. I needed help, yes and this fine man and his
wife let me use their phone. That was all. I would never repay such kindness
with thievery !”
    She
sounded so offended and with flush cheeks, even Jessica believed her. She tried to move
past , but the officer held up a hand. It was then Jessica realized it
was the sheriff from the store. Could their luck that day get any worse?
    “You’re
going to have to empty your pockets.”
    Amanda
gasped. “Well, this dress doesn’t have any pockets.”
    “Then,”
the sheriff said with a level glare, “your purse.”
    Amanda
glanced at Jessica, but