Between Darkness and Daylight Read Online Free
Author: Gracie C. Mckeever
Tags: Siren Publishing, Inc.
Christmas.
He needed to do this before he thought too much more on it. He really shouldn't have looked into her eyes—the windows of the soul, his mother always used to tell him—because they showed him things, even at a brief glance, he was sure he didn't want to know.
"Get ready man, she's comin' closer," Darryl said. "We'll back you up."
Ransom drifted towards the honey on automatic pilot.
She had pep to her step, walking with a purpose as she talked into the mouthpiece of her headset. She slashed the air with her handheld, excitement and animation punctuating every gesture. Someone on the other end was getting an earful.
When she was a couple of yards away, Ran veered towards her, right hand out to swipe the bag, but she had the strap diagonally across her body—the dangerous, New York City way—and it caught around her neck.
Her Palm Pilot hit the concrete as she snared his wrist. "Why you little …"
Ransom tried to yank away his arm and the cone she had in her other hand went flying as she struggled with him. Rainbow sprinkles and vanilla ice cream splattered, showering them both as they scuffled.
Ransom heard his friends whooping behind him, cheering him on as he tried to jerk out of her grasp, and several onlookers gasped in horror.
Damn, she was strong and she wasn't giving up the bag. Freakin'
Amazon. He jerked his arm again as hard as he could and his elbow struck her under the eye and caught in the wire of her headset. He pulled and the headset went flying off her head, crashing to the pavement like her handheld. His other hand was still wrapped tight around the purse strap.
Between Darkness and Daylight
19
"Just give up the bag, shorty!" His heart thundered in his ears. He hadn't realized it would be this hard. It always looked so smooth and easy in the movies.
Honey was mumbling and ranting about no-manners-having, baggy-clothes-wearing thugs violating people in broad daylight. Sheesh, she was lecturing him before his uncle Zane could even get to him.
Ran grabbed the strap with both hands. One mighty yank, and she ducked her head to slide out of it. He thought she was giving it up, but she caught him by an arm as he tried to make a run for it, did some funky martial arts spin on him. Before he knew it, she had his arm twisted behind his back and his palm bent towards his elbow and was steering him to the cement facedown.
A crowd of passers-by gathered around them. Ran could no longer hear his friends whooping over the cheers of support and triumphant applauding.
And that was when the cops showed up, two alighting from a squad car at the nearest curb.
"Need any help, ma'am?"
He could hear the laughter in one of the cops’ voices. He hadn't even noticed their approach, he’d been so intent on getting the hottie's bag. And obviously his friends had noticed, because they were all gone, scattered to the wind, nowhere to be found. They’d left him alone.
He should have been used to desertion by now.
20
Gracie C. McKeever
Chapter 2
"Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice, Mr. Youngblood."
"No problem." Zane stood and reached across his desk, shaking the young woman's outstretched hand. "I'll see you for next week's session?"
"Be there or be square."
Zane smiled as Manuela left, amazed by the child's resilience and sunny attitude. And despite being with child, she was just a child, a young girl who’d made some mistakes and had a lot of other baggage to deal with. Domestic violence, homelessness, and sexual abuse all ran rampant through her troubled history.
It had been a good session, productive, but Zane wasn't fooling himself. He still had a long way to go with Manuela. He felt positive about the outcome, however, knew deep down that he could help this girl.
Maybe because she wanted so much to be helped. That was half the battle.
It was a battle he wished he could wage at home half as successfully, but no matter what he said or did, it always seemed to be the wrong
He needed to do this before he thought too much more on it. He really shouldn't have looked into her eyes—the windows of the soul, his mother always used to tell him—because they showed him things, even at a brief glance, he was sure he didn't want to know.
"Get ready man, she's comin' closer," Darryl said. "We'll back you up."
Ransom drifted towards the honey on automatic pilot.
She had pep to her step, walking with a purpose as she talked into the mouthpiece of her headset. She slashed the air with her handheld, excitement and animation punctuating every gesture. Someone on the other end was getting an earful.
When she was a couple of yards away, Ran veered towards her, right hand out to swipe the bag, but she had the strap diagonally across her body—the dangerous, New York City way—and it caught around her neck.
Her Palm Pilot hit the concrete as she snared his wrist. "Why you little …"
Ransom tried to yank away his arm and the cone she had in her other hand went flying as she struggled with him. Rainbow sprinkles and vanilla ice cream splattered, showering them both as they scuffled.
Ransom heard his friends whooping behind him, cheering him on as he tried to jerk out of her grasp, and several onlookers gasped in horror.
Damn, she was strong and she wasn't giving up the bag. Freakin'
Amazon. He jerked his arm again as hard as he could and his elbow struck her under the eye and caught in the wire of her headset. He pulled and the headset went flying off her head, crashing to the pavement like her handheld. His other hand was still wrapped tight around the purse strap.
Between Darkness and Daylight
19
"Just give up the bag, shorty!" His heart thundered in his ears. He hadn't realized it would be this hard. It always looked so smooth and easy in the movies.
Honey was mumbling and ranting about no-manners-having, baggy-clothes-wearing thugs violating people in broad daylight. Sheesh, she was lecturing him before his uncle Zane could even get to him.
Ran grabbed the strap with both hands. One mighty yank, and she ducked her head to slide out of it. He thought she was giving it up, but she caught him by an arm as he tried to make a run for it, did some funky martial arts spin on him. Before he knew it, she had his arm twisted behind his back and his palm bent towards his elbow and was steering him to the cement facedown.
A crowd of passers-by gathered around them. Ran could no longer hear his friends whooping over the cheers of support and triumphant applauding.
And that was when the cops showed up, two alighting from a squad car at the nearest curb.
"Need any help, ma'am?"
He could hear the laughter in one of the cops’ voices. He hadn't even noticed their approach, he’d been so intent on getting the hottie's bag. And obviously his friends had noticed, because they were all gone, scattered to the wind, nowhere to be found. They’d left him alone.
He should have been used to desertion by now.
20
Gracie C. McKeever
Chapter 2
"Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice, Mr. Youngblood."
"No problem." Zane stood and reached across his desk, shaking the young woman's outstretched hand. "I'll see you for next week's session?"
"Be there or be square."
Zane smiled as Manuela left, amazed by the child's resilience and sunny attitude. And despite being with child, she was just a child, a young girl who’d made some mistakes and had a lot of other baggage to deal with. Domestic violence, homelessness, and sexual abuse all ran rampant through her troubled history.
It had been a good session, productive, but Zane wasn't fooling himself. He still had a long way to go with Manuela. He felt positive about the outcome, however, knew deep down that he could help this girl.
Maybe because she wanted so much to be helped. That was half the battle.
It was a battle he wished he could wage at home half as successfully, but no matter what he said or did, it always seemed to be the wrong
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