Jessie's War by Meggan Connors

Author:Meggan Connors [Connors, Meggan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9781939976000
Publisher: Canoe Hill Publishing
Published: 2013-03-16T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Luke twisted, and as he fell, he grabbed his attacker and they both went to ground. Grunting, he clawed and punched the clerk amid bread rolls and silverware.

Jessie had never witnessed a fight like this. She was more accustomed to the brawls of Virginia City—screamed obscenities, glass breaking, the crowd chanting. By contrast, this fight was oddly quiet. After the initial crash, the only sounds were of fists meeting flesh.

Both men were determined to win this fight, but only one would walk out of this room.

The knife flashed among the melee of knees and fists. No ordinary hotel clerk, this man fought with the ferocity of a mountain lion. His eyes locked on Jessie and he growled as he struggled away from Luke.

He hadn’t come here for him. He’d come for her.

Luke.

She scrambled back against the sofa as Luke clawed at the man’s knees and thrust a fork into his calf.

The man grunted and kicked at him with his good leg. Another bright burst of blood spread across Luke’s white shirt, and his face contorted. Another kick connected with Luke’s face, and his grip weakened. The clerk shook Luke off and lunged for Jessie.

Before she had time to think or react, he had her by the collar of the robe and shoved her, driving her toward the door, his fingers around her throat.

She struggled against him, and something hard pressed against her thigh.

The gun she’d never given back.

As she was pushed toward the door, her fingers curled around the pistol. Bringing it up, she thrust the weapon into his body and pulled the trigger without taking it out of her pocket. Her eardrums contracted painfully, and she heard nothing except high-pitched ringing as she reeled backward and crashed into the wall.

The scent of gunpowder burned her nostrils and her eyes began to water. The man’s face twisted into an expression of horror so terrible Jessie couldn’t tear her eyes away. She wanted to. Couldn’t. She looked into the eyes of the man she’d just shot, and saw fear and pain.

And hate.

“Fuckin’ Indian,” he mouthed. Blood seeped from the corner of his lips. He rocked back on his heels and almost fell.

She swallowed convulsively against the vomit rising at the back of her throat and shot him again. This time, she didn’t flinch.

His eyes rolled back in his head. He fell and lay still.

Her stomach churned and, unable to fight any longer, Jessie doubled over and retched.

A hand settled between on the back of her neck.

Luke.

Pressing a hand to her midsection, she straightened her spine.

A faint sound reached her ears, barely audible against the ringing in her ears. Luke had just kicked the door closed. When she turned her eyes to him, she found him regarding her seriously.

“You all right?” He took her face in his hands and turned it gently from left to right.

She nodded. Her eyes fell to his chest, to the bright stain of blood spreading out from under his arm and across his chest, and nausea roiled in her gut.

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