Behind the Fire: A Dark Thriller Read Online Free Page B

he’d ever ask.
    “A man’s got to be the man,” he’d said enough times.
    If he did need her, somehow she’d get it through his thick skull they were in this together, whatever this was.
    The darkened clouds had disappeared and, without the town lights to dim them, a sparkling carpet of stars hung in the sky.
    The denser scrub here worried Emily that within the foliage a myriad of creatures crawled and slithered, all evolved to live in the harsh, waterless landscape much better than her. She worried about meeting these creepy, crawly creatures, unawares. She moved warily, scouring ahead afraid of walking into a huge cobweb or treading on something that would bite first before asking questions. Fear grew with each step.
    Concentrating so hard on looking for crawlies, she wasn’t prepared for the low tree branch she’d pushed aside, to whip back suddenly and slap her across the face. Barely missing her eye, it stung like hell on her skin. She bit down on her lip to stop from calling out.
    Damn , she should have driven a little farther.
    Her jeans offered some protection, but the spiky bushes still managed to penetrate and prick her legs, which were now itching like crazy. She wanted so badly to take a break, roll up her pants, and scratch the torment out of her skin, but she had to keep going. Stopping would make her feel more like fair game.
    Emily had read somewhere if you made a lot of noise snakes wouldn’t attack. She couldn’t afford to make any noise. As she pulled back another branch—carefully, this time—she realized she’d almost reached where Bobby had stopped.
    The sound of music from Bobby’s truck radio drifted toward her.
     
    … together again and that's a lot
    We love each other—let’s take a shot
    Whoa-o, we're nearly there
    Whoa-o, we’re living and praying …
     
    Emily crouched even lower. Only a few shrubs and small trees separated her from Bobby. Kneeling behind a shrub, she found herself looking into a clearing edged by small trees. They stood like sentinels around a large, open red-dirt area.
    Bobby’s truck was parked off to the side of the ragged clearing.
    No sight of Bobby, though.
     
    … got to give it everything we’ve got
    There’s no difference
    if we make it to this spot
    because with each other that’s really a lot …
     
    The lyrics dug into her. She felt sick with guilt. What was she doing out here, following Bobby like some demented, jealous wife? Wasn’t he entitled to his privacy?
    He could be collecting wood, star-gazing—it was pretty spectacular out here—or just taking some time for himself. If roles were reversed, she’d be indignant and find it hard to understand why he didn’t trust her.
    In that moment, rational thought finally took over, and she lost her nerve. She began retreating into the shrubs, staying as low as she could, picking her way backward. In her mind if she didn’t see anything, and if she didn’t confront him, then she’d done nothing wrong.
    She had only moved a few feet when she heard his voice. Instantly she stopped, her body rigid, her breathing stilled. Questions like fireworks exploded in her brain.
    Was he talking to somebody? She hadn’t seen anyone with him. Had he met someone here? If so, then where was the person’s car?
    Her heart fluttered that maybe her affair theory was correct.
    In moments she’d returned to her original position.
    Bobby was behind the truck. He had the dirt bike by the handles, and after pulling it free, began to push it toward the edge of the trees. Emily scanned the area, but he seemed to be alone.
    He hardly spoke, even at the best of times. “I save my words, so as people know when I mean business,” he’d say. Now it appeared he was talking to himself. What kind of business was he in now?
    She risked a deep breath, holding it, listening, cocking her head, and straining to hear his words drifting through the dark.
    “Bastards … you … back to … take …”
    The distance and the