Sentinels Read Online Free Page B

ready to hide in the storm cellar at a moment’s notice. In fact, put whatever provisions you need for the little guy in there while I’m gone.”
    â€œDid that this morning while you were out doing whatever.”
    â€œGetting ready to harvest. Crop’s almost ready.”
    â€œYou still thinking about selling corn at a time like this?!”
    â€œIt’s how we make a living, Sarah.” He chuckled.
    â€œDon’t be smart with me!” She grabbed Toby’s bulging shoulders and shook him to drive home the point. “Those men came here to kill us last night!”
    â€œMen have been coming to this farm almost every month to harm us, it seems, and we’ve always managed.” He embraced her arms and guided them down from his body. “The Klan once tried showing us who’s boss and we know how that ended. We’ll be all right.”
    â€œWe can’t stay protected like this forever. The odds aren’t in our favor. Someone’s gonna slip through. Had Diggs sent people whose brains actually worked, last night could’ve been it! Why didn’t you take Diggs’s money? We could’ve headed North and started over!”
    â€œI ain’t running from these people, Sarah. We’re not running from them. Diggs basically told me to dance and expected me to click my heels when I saw dollar signs. We got something special here. Diggs don’t deserve it. Nobody but us does.”
    â€œAnd you’re willing to risk your son’s life?”
    Toby mounted the horse and prepared to giddy-up.
    â€œI would never risk little Isaac’s life, you know that,” he said. “And what makes you think we’d be accepted up in New Jersey or Pennsylvania or wherever? State lines don’t stop bigots.”
    â€œWe’d be safer.”
    â€œOnly marginally so.”
    â€œPromise me this, Toby Jenkins. Promise me that if we have another close call—and I don’t care how close—you’ll consider selling. I know Diggs is awful. But we can be successful elsewhere.”
    â€œI feel like I owe it to Charlie Stanhope to stay and guard what he built—what we built. All of us, Sarah.”
    â€œI don’t disagree. But we’ve got more than just ourselves to worry about now, and I will die before I let any of those monsters lay a hand on Isaac.”
    â€œAll right, if it really becomes more than we can handle around here, then I’ll sell to that bastard. But—and here’s my but—I’m allowed to make sure it never gets to that. Think about it: we ain’t ever been close to bein’ lynched. You might not believe it, but we’re safe here.”
    â€œThere’s a difference between being safe and feeling safe. And I don’t. I can’t say I ever have.”
    â€œYou’re protected here, dear,” Toby said. “Those boys that attacked us are injured. They ain’t coming back.”
    Sarah, exasperated: “Not them , but someone else could.”
    Toby, eager to leave, did his best to reassure her. “You have my promise—I won’t rule out moving. But you have to honor my but—allow me room to protect us so that we won’t have to skip town.”
    She smiled and raised her eyebrows. “I will reluctantly honor your but, but prefer your other butt.”
    â€œThat’s my girl!” Toby prodded Chester to break stride. “Go be with Isaac.”
    Sarah forced a smile as Toby Jenkins rode Chester to the home’s front so he could grab the last thing he needed before heading to downtown Henderson. She lingered in the barn, caressing Potato and Herman, the two remaining horses, before leading them to the pasture. Recalling what occurred the previous evening, she wanted all the protection available just in case someone came back. She gripped the sickle on the wall, thought a few seconds, and took it with her just as Isaac let out his hungry