Deadly Night by Aiden James

Author:Aiden James [James, Aiden]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery, Ghost, Suspense, Thriller, Fiction
ISBN: 9781479203819
Google: V4WgMQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1479203815
Goodreads: 8564393
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2010-06-30T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Somebody had to keep an eye on Gypsy.

There’s my excuse to return alone to our darkened log home, where only the outside security lights and an overhead lamp in the kitchen were left on. Once Gypsy realized someone in her family had returned home, our terrier’s shrill barks rang out from the living room.

Our big bad watchdog likes to hide under the sofa when no one’s around.

“Hey, girl…Daddy’s back!”

She totally went nuts, doing her twirling happy dance that she normally reserves for Fiona. Being the ‘Alpha Two’ around here, I only get such royal treatment in my wife’s absence. Despite my dog’s fanatical greeting, I grabbed the .44 magnum from its kitchen hideout, including the holster, and made sure the gun was loaded before letting her take care of her business outside. Meanwhile, I listened for any creaks or footsteps, both inside and outside our house.

Nothing so far.

I’d have to really be careful that my overactive imagination stayed in check for the rest of the night. Lord knows it’d be regrettable if I emptied my gun at some fleeting shadow, and had nothing left to ward off a real predator. That’s if one showed up.

I figured the odds were fifty-fifty in my favor, provided the house was truly secured. That became my next priority, which took nearly twenty minutes before I could confidently say it was just me and the dog.

The only thing on my agenda until ten o’clock the next morning was staying alive. To not become Vito Travini’s eighth hack job.

Almost midnight when I got home, it was currently 12:15 a.m. As for my wife and kids, Ed arranged for their escort to a secure haven. A Nashville squad car ran by my mother-in-law’s condo and picked up the boys. Fiona had already told him that her preference is to stay with her Aunt Stella in Goodlettsville, just north of Nashville. The next call from Ed went to a captain working for Goodlettsville’s police department, arranging for another car to take our kids and us up to Stella’s place.

But I declined…for now.

“Somebody’s got to make sure Gypsy’s okay,” I reminded Fiona, who in turn entreated Ed to make an exception for me to pick up the dog.

“Okay,” he agreed. “We’ll let him go do that, as long as you and your boys go immediately to safety in Goodlettsville. I’ve arranged 24 hour protection for you, with an officer on duty starting tonight.”

It seemed noble of him, and I found myself liking him more by the minute.

“And, you’ll arrange for someone to go with Jimmy to pick up Gypsy tonight?”

Her tone sweeter than normal, I sensed this was an extra coercion effort on my behalf.

“Well…it might take me a little time to arrange that,” he advised, his tone more doubtful than his words. “It might mean he has to make the trip to your place alone and then I can get my Franklin contacts to arrange safe passage for him and the dog in the morning.”

Okay, maybe he’s not so gallant after all.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.