Free Mail Order Bride: Journey's End: A Mail Order Brides Western Romance (Love On The Line Book 2) by Catherine Harper Page B
Authors: Catherine Harper
if she could lose herself in it before he caught up with her. Turning back to him she looked to the gun aimed at her back. Whispering she asked, "Would you mind lowering that thing? You do remember that I'm coming willingly?"
"Yeah, sorry," Walter replied.
Watching him put it back in its holster, she nodded. "Thank you. Now follow me."
Taking the lead once more, Alice led them to the top of the stairway in silence. Working out the quickest and safest route out of the house in her head, she heard a child's voice behind her.
"Alice?"
Alice spun and found Amy rubbing her eyes. Seeing Walter go to his gun, she put her hand on his. "Don't, I'll sort this." Going to the child, Alice knelt down in front of her. "It's late Amy, you better get back to bed."
"I had a bad dream and couldn't sleep. Will you tuck me in?"
Alice looked to Walter and saw him shake his head.
"I'm sorry I can't, I have to do something important. But I'll tell you what. If you let me help this man, I'll be back as quick as I can. Is that OK?"
Alice watched Amy look past her. "Who is he?"
"He's a friend that I knew before I met your father."
"Are you going with him?"
"Just for a minute. But I'll be back," Alice replied and sensed Walter's impatience behind her.
"Look kid get back to bed, like you were told. Now beat it, we're leaving."
"I'm going to tell my father on you?" Amy pouted.
"I don't think so," Walter answered and pulled his gun. Aiming it at the child, Alice put her body in the way and pleaded.
"Walter, put it away she's only a child. She doesn't know what she saying-"
"I was right about her, she is a brat," Walter snarled. Not moving his hand, he ordered. "Alice, get out of the way."
Getting off her knee's Alice stood to her full height and tried her best to shield Amy. "No."
Walter shook his head, "You'd let this child come between us? But you and I, we're destined to be together."
"I lied. How could I live with a man like you? You're sick, Walter."
Seeing him digest what she'd said, Alice watched his face change and mood grow darker. "You bitch!"
Focused on the gun in his hand, Alice watched his finger click back on the hammer of his gun and knew she'd need to act fast. Seeing Walter close to the stop of the stairs she knew what to do. Pushing off with her back leg, Alice threw herself toward him just as the gun flashed. Feeling the bullet bite into her shoulder, she was relieved to see that her sudden move had caught him off guard. Hitting the floor, Alice watched as his Walter tried desperately to steady himself and fell backwards. Watching his arms windmill about in an attempt to grab onto something, she heard him fire his gun once more before disappearing down the large spiral staircase.
Biting her lip as she pulled herself to her knees, Alice fought against the pain in her shoulder and looked behind her. Seeing Amy in tears she called her to her and held her tightly. Looking her over and finding the child without injury she let out a sigh of relief.
"Is he gone?" Amy sobbed.
Leaning to get a better view of the stairs far below, Alice found Walters body lying on the bottom step. Looking to the ceiling with eyes wide open, Walter's head hung awkwardly to one side. Although not having much medical knowledge, Alice knew a broken neck when she saw one. Paying him no more attention, she held Amy close to her and whispered into her ear. "He won't be hurting anyone anymore. We're safe now. "
Chapter 18
Standing in front of the full length mirror in her room, Alice looked over her shoulder to see how she looked from behind. Turning to face it again, she caught Elizabet smirk in its reflection.
"What?"
"You are sure you want to go through with this?" Elizabet teased.
Fussing over the front of her wedding dress Alice asked, "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, the length of time it took to get to this day," Elizabet said. "What, between waiting for a divorce, then
"Yeah, sorry," Walter replied.
Watching him put it back in its holster, she nodded. "Thank you. Now follow me."
Taking the lead once more, Alice led them to the top of the stairway in silence. Working out the quickest and safest route out of the house in her head, she heard a child's voice behind her.
"Alice?"
Alice spun and found Amy rubbing her eyes. Seeing Walter go to his gun, she put her hand on his. "Don't, I'll sort this." Going to the child, Alice knelt down in front of her. "It's late Amy, you better get back to bed."
"I had a bad dream and couldn't sleep. Will you tuck me in?"
Alice looked to Walter and saw him shake his head.
"I'm sorry I can't, I have to do something important. But I'll tell you what. If you let me help this man, I'll be back as quick as I can. Is that OK?"
Alice watched Amy look past her. "Who is he?"
"He's a friend that I knew before I met your father."
"Are you going with him?"
"Just for a minute. But I'll be back," Alice replied and sensed Walter's impatience behind her.
"Look kid get back to bed, like you were told. Now beat it, we're leaving."
"I'm going to tell my father on you?" Amy pouted.
"I don't think so," Walter answered and pulled his gun. Aiming it at the child, Alice put her body in the way and pleaded.
"Walter, put it away she's only a child. She doesn't know what she saying-"
"I was right about her, she is a brat," Walter snarled. Not moving his hand, he ordered. "Alice, get out of the way."
Getting off her knee's Alice stood to her full height and tried her best to shield Amy. "No."
Walter shook his head, "You'd let this child come between us? But you and I, we're destined to be together."
"I lied. How could I live with a man like you? You're sick, Walter."
Seeing him digest what she'd said, Alice watched his face change and mood grow darker. "You bitch!"
Focused on the gun in his hand, Alice watched his finger click back on the hammer of his gun and knew she'd need to act fast. Seeing Walter close to the stop of the stairs she knew what to do. Pushing off with her back leg, Alice threw herself toward him just as the gun flashed. Feeling the bullet bite into her shoulder, she was relieved to see that her sudden move had caught him off guard. Hitting the floor, Alice watched as his Walter tried desperately to steady himself and fell backwards. Watching his arms windmill about in an attempt to grab onto something, she heard him fire his gun once more before disappearing down the large spiral staircase.
Biting her lip as she pulled herself to her knees, Alice fought against the pain in her shoulder and looked behind her. Seeing Amy in tears she called her to her and held her tightly. Looking her over and finding the child without injury she let out a sigh of relief.
"Is he gone?" Amy sobbed.
Leaning to get a better view of the stairs far below, Alice found Walters body lying on the bottom step. Looking to the ceiling with eyes wide open, Walter's head hung awkwardly to one side. Although not having much medical knowledge, Alice knew a broken neck when she saw one. Paying him no more attention, she held Amy close to her and whispered into her ear. "He won't be hurting anyone anymore. We're safe now. "
Chapter 18
Standing in front of the full length mirror in her room, Alice looked over her shoulder to see how she looked from behind. Turning to face it again, she caught Elizabet smirk in its reflection.
"What?"
"You are sure you want to go through with this?" Elizabet teased.
Fussing over the front of her wedding dress Alice asked, "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, the length of time it took to get to this day," Elizabet said. "What, between waiting for a divorce, then
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