Moonrise by Stuart Anne

Author:Stuart, Anne [Stuart, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: CIA, Mystery & Detective, Betrayal, Romantic Suspense / romance, IRA, General, Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Women Sleuths, Large Print Books, Large Type Books, assassin, Espionage
ISBN: 9780451404763
Publisher: Signet
Published: 1996-03-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“Are you going to shoot me, Annie? Isn’t that a little extreme?”

She knew how to fire a gun. Her father had despised guns, but he’d made certain his daughter knew how to use one, and James’s gun was not dissimilar from the 9mm weapon she had practiced on. He could move fast, she’d seen him to do it, but not faster than a bullet.

“No,” she said, setting the gun down on the countertop with great care, close enough that she could pick it up quickly. “As long as you don’t touch me again.”

His gaze was steady, unreadable, but he made no effort to move, to take the gun out of her reach. “Then you’d better shoot me, Annie,” he said, turning his gaze back to the television.

She wanted to. She wanted to pick up the gun and wipe that cool, enigmatic expression from his face. Just once she wanted to see whether he could feel anything.

During the long days after her father’s death he’d been there, a solid, secure presence, looking after the details she’d been too distraught to deal with, an invisible strength for her to turn to. But not once during all that time, even when they lowered Win’s walnut and brass coffin into the ground at Arlington, did he betray any emotion.

She shivered, remembering that cold spring day. A bitter rain had been falling, a fitting cap to the week, and James had stood beside her in a dark raincoat, holding a black umbrella over her head. She’d watched the coffin being lowered with a sense of numb horror that had haunted her dreams ever since.

“I want to be cremated.”

That got his attention. He stared at her, then leaned over and killed the sound on the TV. “You aren’t going to die,” he said.

“Everyone’s going to die sooner or later. The way things have been going lately, I suspect it’s going to be sooner.”

“I’m not going to let anyone kill you.”

“Martin said you’re good, but you’re not perfect.” Her knees were still weak from what he’d done to her in the kitchen. She was wet between her legs, angry and vulnerable. She moved from behind the counter, away from the gun, wondering if she’d regret it.

“What made you think of that?” He leaned back, looking at her.

“I hated Win’s funeral.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be fun.”

“He insisted on a full burial. I hated it. When I die, I want to be burned and my ashes put in a tiny little box. You can keep me on your mantel.”

She’d managed to shake him. Something crossed his face, something oddly akin to horror, swiftly followed by anger.

“Fine,” he snapped. “Though I might prefer to keep you in some Tupperware.”

“No plastic,” she said, pushing him. He didn’t strike her as a man capable of feeling horror. But she hadn’t mistaken his reaction. “I’ll settle for an empty tequila bottle. One without the worm. I imagine you’ll have no trouble finding one of those.”

“You can be a real bitch, you know that, Annie?” he said calmly enough.

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.