First Do No Evil: Blood Secrets, Book 1 Read Online Free

not. “I’m on my way to a classic car auction. Cash only. Just stopped in for a bite on my way.” Sweat trickled between his shoulder blades. “I’ll show you. May I lower one hand?”
    Seconds ticked by with no objection from Blackbeard, so he reached his hand to the counter and picked up the newspaper article he’d torn out earlier.
    Dragging Nevaeh with him, Blackbeard inched closer. Danny laid the torn article on top of the folded newspaper and slid the whole thing real easy across the floor. The gunman stuck the pistol on the back of Nevaeh’s head and ordered her to pick up the paper. They were no more than a few feet away.
    Blackbeard studied the scrap of newspaper and growled. “This don’t say nothing about no car auction. Just some shit about breast cancer.”
    Got the bastard . “Other side.”
    Blackbeard turned the paper over and cackled. “Son bitch. You really got ten grand in your boots?”
    “I do. If you’re worried I’m packing ankle heat, just send the girl over to get the money. You can watch her raise my pant leg nice and slow, and she couldn’t out shoot a bad-ass motherfucker like you anyway, now could she?”
    “Not this motherfucker.”
    Danny had him all right. But it wouldn’t be long before this stupid criminal, and yes, he’d proven himself to be exactly that, would realize he’d been played. The truth of the auction advertisement had confused him, but he’d figure things out soon enough. All he needed was for Blackbeard to release Nevaeh, then he could make his move.
    “You better hurry,” Danny said.
    “Okay, but I’m warning you, any funny stuff and I’ll blow your brains out.” Jerking his fingers out of Nevaeh’s hair, Blackbeard let her go with a shove. “Go get Daddy’s money, honey.”
    He’d planned to count three before jumping Blackbeard, but he had to go early because on two, Edmond leapt to his feet for his own charge. Before Danny could spring, Blackbeard whirled and pointed the Colt at Edmond.
    A muzzle flash.
    A second too late, Danny’s high-kick sent the gun sailing. Danny lunged. His chest cracked against the floor as the cold muzzle of the pistol jammed beneath his ribs.
    Gripping the handle, he rolled.
    From a prone position, he locked elbows and raised the Colt, pointed it dead-center-motherfucker.
    He wished he’d made waffles for Katie this morning. “Police! Freeze!”
    But the gunman didn’t freeze, and time stretched into slow motion. The room went quiet, as if all sound had changed into a butterfly captured in the palm of his hand. In contrast to the soft focus around him, the motherfucker at the end of the gun barrel came into sharp relief.
    Blackbeard ducked, fumbled with his pant leg. In the palm of his hand, a Glock glinted in the sunlight. The motherfucker was the one with a backup weapon.
    Nevaeh’s mouth opened in a scream, drawing Blackbeard’s attention and his aim. Danny didn’t hesitate. He squeezed the trigger twice. His elbow buzzed.
    A double flash.
    Like tie-dye, blood spread onto the front of Blackbeard’s shirt, but the motherfucker was still standing. With his Glock aimed at Nevaeh, Blackbeard’s hand jerked.
    A flash.
    Nevaeh went down. The stench of burnt powder drenched the air. Danny kept firing at Blackbeard. In time with the rapid squeeze of the trigger, his jaw twitched. His forearm recoiled from the power of the Colt. At last, Blackbeard grabbed gut and folded to his knees.
    A cottony sound penetrated Danny’s consciousness, and he turned his head left. There he saw, more than heard, the violent sobs that racked Sky’s body. There he saw a bloodied Edmond cradled in Sky’s lap, pieces of skull scattered like eggshells on a breakfast plate. There he saw, descending from a high window, ropes of sunlight braiding through the center of Edmond’s chest like a ladder to heaven. Oh Christ .
    He jerked around, inched over to the spot where Blackbeard lay sprawled on the floor, lifeless, or at least critically