BooksBarbecue
Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

Kellen could see Max struggling; he wanted to change this, fix this, make it different.

“I wonder how long she’s been on the island? I wonder if the Conkles knew?”

“Dylan knew.”

Kellen thought about how damaged Dylan had been. “Yes. Mara got her claws into him. She gave him something that drove him mad and to murder.”

Max’s gaze shifted to Rae, circled into a fetal position on her bed, so still she might be dead. Luna was curled into her, holding her with a paw across her hips. Max put his hand over his damp eyes. “We can’t let the drugs take her.”

“You’re right, we can’t.” She hugged him, felt his frustration. “Max, I’m healthy. I’m strong. I’m angry. I can take on Mara and make her sorry.”

His chest rose and fell. Abruptly, he loosened her arms. “Wait here.” He left with purpose.

Compulsively, she leaned over Rae, checked for her breathing, smoothed her hair off her forehead. “We’re going to take care of you, baby,” she whispered.

Max returned with a Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard pistol held lightly in his right hand, a nylon holster hanging on his arm. “When I took Dylan in, I radioed ahead to Rafe Di Luca. He brought it for me.” He checked the safety, then offered her the butt of the weapon. “You won’t be completely without defense.”

Kellen wrapped the fingers of her right hand around it. She had been a soldier. She had carried a pistol, aimed a pistol, shot a pistol. The weight, the cool metal, the scent of gun oil settled into her memories, familiar and necessary.

Max said, “As you always point out, a pistol is only good for a short distance. It’s loaded.”

She looked up and smiled. “My fingers aren’t one hundred percent. But even so, I’m more in control of a weapon than most people could ever be.”

He nodded. “That’s what I figured.” As he helped her strap on the holster, he said, “Before dawn, we’ll carry Rae down to the dock.”

“To the SkinnySail?”

“Yes. To the SkinnySail.”

“What if Mara sabotaged it?”

“Then we’ll think of another way.” Max didn’t sound worried. “But Mara doesn’t think small. She wants to make the big statement. Shoot up the helicopter. Terrify us.”

Max knew Mara better than Kellen did.

“Rae and I will leave on the SkinnySail. We’ll avoid Mara. Then you’re on your own. You can fight. You can beat her.”

She slid the pistol into the holster.

He took her not quite one hundred percent hand in both of his and looked into her eyes. “She’ll cheat.”