Praying for Grace (The Grace Series Book 5) Read Online Free

both looked up as I entered, each holding a finger to their lips, signaling for me to be quiet. I was set immediately on alert, and stopped in my tracks. Boggs took a step back from Danny, and then also knelt on one knee on the floor. This room was different than the others. It looked newer, with the three outer walls framed in with drywall instead of old fashioned lath and plaster. The wall that was now directly to my back looked like it must have been the exterior, matching the rest of the stone walls that I had seen in the living room. The floor was made of wide wooden planks, and not concrete. An old area rug was lying near Danny, one corner disheveled. I surmised that he had tripped on it, resulting in the chair being knocked over. The far corner held old furniture that had been stacked and covered in sheets of thick muslin. Half was now uncovered, making me wonder if Boggs had been looking through things. Boggs and Danny both hovered over a certain area of the floor, where the area rug had been moved back. I could tell they were listening. Boggs held a palm up indicating that I should stay back. I could hear my own pulse and Danny’s breathing. Like the guys crouched before me, I listened intently. A faint and short lived splash that came from beneath us.
    Danny looked up and met my eyes with his. Eventually he unlocked his gaze with me and peeled the area rug back farther. With the movement of the rug came another splash, this time louder. Something beneath us was moving. A chill ran up my spine and out of instinct I looked around for anything that might be used as a weapon. I also reached deep into my mind, searching for anything that might present itself to me on a primal level. It was there, but what ‘it’ was exactly was unclear. I found myself wishing there were more of us in the room, but knew that Nathan and Susan would only be in the way. I wanted Abbey far from here. Whatever was below the floor was evil. Of that I was sure.
    We were lacking in supplies and weapons. With the loss of Gus came the loss of one of our greatest resources: a leader with strength. I had become so accustomed to sharing my thoughts with him that without thinking or meaning to, I reached out to him. It wasn’t in words. It was just a sense of desperate need for him. Of course, he didn’t answer back. My heart sank, the pain too much too bear. I had avoided thinking about my love, my soul mate, knowing that when I finally allowed myself the privilege it might very well break me to a point beyond repair.
    Before I realized they were doing it, Boggs and Danny cracked open a panel in the floor. The underlying scent of mustiness instantly mingled with that of rot and nose-biting vinegar. Immediately the sound of splashing escalated and was accompanied by a low-tone growl.
    “What the fuck!” grumbled Boggs. “Zoe, stay back.” He had already raised one hand out to warn me back, and covered his nose and mouth with the other.
    Danny took a defensive stance a couple feet away from Boggs. The splashing sounds had quieted but the growling continued.
    “What is it?” I whispered.
    “I’m not sure,” said Boggs as he turned his flashlight on and shined it into the space beneath the floor. His face paled and I was sure he was about to vomit. A split second later my prediction came true as he spilled the meager contents of his stomach into the opening in the floor, the mess landing somewhere below with an echoing splash. The growling changed tone and became a hissing, sounding very much like a warning to keep back. 
    I walked forward. The worst that could happen would be death, and by that point I was ok with death. For a moment I even considered blindly walking into the hole and just getting it over with. As Boggs wiped his mouth and Danny moved forward toward the hole, so did I. Danny took his own flashlight and shined it into the abyss.  I leaned forward, but Boggs held me back gently.
    “You don’t want to see this, Zo,” he