Before Too Long by Kathy Altman

Author:Kathy Altman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kathy Altman
Published: 2023-07-04T00:00:00+00:00

- 9 -

ALLISON’S HEART KEPT UP its frantic bounce as she glared across the room at the scruffy lowlife poised in front of the open window. The intruder glared back, his lean body stone-still, his left foot barely touching the floor. His mouth was tight with pain—he must have twisted his ankle while scrambling to escape. If it weren’t for the threat in his eyes, and the whole hired thug thing, she might have actually felt sorry for him. He looked young—like barely-out-of-his-teens young.

Didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt her.

“I already talked to Sammy,” she said, and resented the desperation in her voice. “So why’d he send you?”

This was bad. This was very, very bad. She’d brought a loan shark’s hired muscle straight to Joe’s motel. The good people of Thistle Hill would have her tarred and feathered within the hour.

Footsteps pounded down the sidewalk. Allison looked over her shoulder and Joe exploded through the doorway. He scanned the room and went rigid, thrust her behind him and locked gazes with the intruder.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No.” She shook her head, lips pressed tight so they wouldn’t wobble. “You still think no creepy crawlies can get in?”

“Tell me what happened, Allison.” Joe put out a hand toward the stranger in the universal “don’t shoot, stab, or maim us in any way” gesture. That’s when Allison started to shake. Could this guy be armed?

The young man did look unstable, with his angry eyes, every-which-way hair and grubby clothes. Yet he remained still, except for the ragged breathing he struggled to bring under control.

“I—I opened the door and startled him,” she said. “He dropped something and made a break for the window.”

Slowly Joe backed up, nudging Allison toward the door. “Okay, you son of a bitch. We’re going to the office to call 9-1-1. You have maybe ten minutes before the sheriff arrives, so if you don’t want to end up in cuffs you’d better get the hell out of here.”

Allison stopped moving. Her nose ended up between Joe’s shoulder blades. “We can’t do that.”

“Can’t do what, let him go? Fuck that. He’s hurt. He won’t get far.”

“I mean, we can’t call 9-1-1.”

Joe shot her an incredulous glance, and over his shoulder she saw the same astonished look on the stranger’s face. “Why the hell not?”

She bit her lip. “It’ll complicate things.”

“It’ll—” Joe looked from her to the intruder and back again. “Judas Priest, do you know this guy?”

“Not personally. But I know why he’s here.”

Eyes ablaze, Joe grabbed her by the arm. “What the hell are you mixed up in?”

“Let her go.” Joe and Allison both jumped at the rusty sound of the intruder’s voice. Allison stared. He was defending her?

Joe jerked his chin at him. “You.” Another jerk, at the small bench under the window. “Sit.” The young man ignored him, and for the moment Joe returned the favor. He aimed his narrowed gaze at Allison instead. “And you. Out with it.”

“He wants money.”

“Most burglars do.”

“I’m not a burglar,” their visitor said hotly.

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