Follow the Bloodshed (The Executioner Trilogy Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

hadn’t noticed, but I was gripping Beth’s hands so hard she was wincing a little. I released her hands and reached up to hold one of Gordon’s and he squeezed back reassuringly. I felt like I could fall apart, but he was holding me together. I could feel the beast roiling inside of me, but I kept it pushed down. The anger, grief, and shock of it all weren’t helping me keep a handle on it. It was threatening to break free, but I didn’t want that unless there was something that I could kill.
    “That was something we have been trying to work on. We’re not sure exactly how we can kill her. There just isn’t much out there.” She looked down at her hands in her lap and I could tell she was picking at her fingernails. It was one of the few nervous habits she had. “Right now all we can do is try to survive until we can find something concrete and come up with a plan.” Beth stood up, wiping her hands on her jeans again. “Chase, how are we on provisions?”
    Chase pushed away from the desk and walked towards us. His amber eyes watched us closely, like he wasn’t sure if we were dangerous or not. We were dangerous, just not to him. “We had enough to last a week, but now only a few days. We would need to make a run, and we should do it while the sun is up. It’s bad enough crawlers are out there. We don’t need vampires on us too.”
    “Crawlers?” Gordon inquired from behind me. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to open my mouth. It wasn’t something I had ever heard of before now. Apparently a lot had changed while we had been gone, even more than we thought. Sam was quiet, taking it all in. She was seated on the floor against a far wall, watching it all unfold and listening intently. I had completely forgotten she was there.
    “They’re Lilith’s half breeds that can go out in the sunlight. They’re just as vicious and can be killed only by decapitation.” Chase had obviously seen a lot of these things. Just how many were there and what else had she cooked up? There was no telling until we went out there. I stood and smoothed my shirt, trying to remain composed but knew I couldn’t for long. I needed some hardcore violence. I wanted to make Lilith suffer.
    “So, if we need provisions, let’s go.” I threw the quiver of arrows over my shoulder. I didn’t want to sit here anymore. I wanted to see what it was like out there because this definitely didn’t sound like the world I had left behind. Beth looked confused.
    “I thought you would want to rest,” she said, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “I’d hate for you to rip your stitches.” 
    My arm wasn’t even painful and I could barely tell the stitches were there. It annoyed me that she thought I wouldn’t want to go. Of course I did. I had been away for six months and the world had completely changed and I wanted to know just how drastic that change was. When we had crossed over I could tell things weren’t the same.
    “I’m okay. I’m sure it’s almost healed. It’ll be fine,” I said with a smile. If it came off sarcastic I didn’t mean for it to, but I was annoyed and she would know it one way or another. I was the Executioner, not a child that needed to be left at home while my parents went off to market. Beth whispered an okay and left the room. I walked to the chest and began to pull things out. I quickly found what I was looking for. My silver tipped machete. Life was good again.
    I barely noticed Sam anymore as she huddled in the corner. No doubt nervous about the new people to enter her life. I wasn’t sure if I should leave her there or not. I walked over to her once Beth and Chase had left the room and knelt down in front of her. She was huddled around her legs, arms wrapped around then like a safe haven. Her eyes were closed so I touched her arm. She stiffened and still didn’t open them.
    “Sam? We’re leaving now to get some supplies? Do you want to come?” I paused. “I’ll understand if you want to rest or