Sworn to Protect (Vows of the Heart) Read Online Free Page B

Aaron’s dead face stared back at her. His eyes radiated hatred. He opened his mouth and shrieked – a sound of the unholy, a sound of death – death coming for her.
    She screamed and backpedaled , but to her horror, the spirit emerged from the mirror, reaching for her, it’s screech shredding her ears and her sanity.
    Three gunshots thundered in the tiny room.
    Bethany turned and ran .
    Dobbs had shot Simon in the chest and Richardson pointed his gun straight at her.
    But in the face of the hellish demon emerging from the mirror, a gun was the least of her worries. Bethany heard the vile scream again and felt icy fingers on the back of her neck. The two marshals blocked the door. There was only one way out of the room.
    In two strides , Bethany jumped to the bed closest to the window, nearly falling as the mattress gave under her foot. Bullets hit the bedding, but she leapt and brought up her arms to protect her head and face. She dove through the window, glass exploding around her, and hit the ground hard. Bullets zinged through the broken window. She looked up to see two men running toward her from the parking lot, guns drawn. Aaron’s ghost shrieked behind her. She hauled herself up and darted to the left, along the row of motel rooms.
    “Lancaster,” a voice barked. “Get the girl!”
    Bethany glanced over her shoulder and saw one man wearing a long black trench coat, his long, dark hair streaming behind him, break away and sprint after her. Her vision tunneled, focusing on the gun he carried.
    Oh God! Oh God! Terror possessed her, she ran harder coming to the corner of the motel. If she could escape around back, she might be able to lose the man chasing her.
    Aaron’s apparition appeared before her, still wailing, his dead hands reaching for her throat. Bethany screamed and tried to stop. Her feet slid out from under her and she hit the ground a second time. She crawled backwards.
    Hands seized her from behind. Bethany cried out, fighting, terror giving her strength. The man with the trench coat and long hair hauled her up.
    Only one thought possessed her. I’m going to die!
    ****
    Ethan grabbed the girl with a thick mane of auburn hair. Thank God she had stopped, although he wasn’t sure why. If she had made it around the building, he would have had a hell of a time catching her. His stamina sucked right now and he found himself out of breath with just the short sprint. Hauling her to his chest, he backed against the wall. Pain blazed through him as he was forced to use his left arm to grab her, but he ignored it, praying she hadn’t been hit.
    The girl fought him, screaming in terror. Ethan tightened his hold, pressing her firmly against his chest. “Stop it,” he barked. “I’m one of the good guys.”
    Shanahan moved to cover the door to the motel room but Ethan could barely see him. The sharp report of a gun sounded several times.
    The girl was too terrified to hear him and continued to fight. Ethan gritted his teeth against the battering she dealt to his damaged arm. “Damn it, woman,” he growled. “I’m an ATF agent. Knock it off or I’ll shoot you myself.”
    Her head jerked up and she stared at him in surprise. Ethan instantly lost himself in the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. For a heartbeat, time seemed to stop. The woman he held so tightly to him was exquisite, tall and lithe. Her face was perfect except for the cut on her forehead trickling blood from her dive through the window.
    “ATF?” s he whispered. “You…you’re the second witness.”
    “Yeah,” he said, his gut clenching.
    “I saw…I saw…” She shook her head. “Richardson tried to kill me.” She trembled like a leaf in his arms and he could not tear his gaze from hers. The fear in her eyes….
    Movement in the parking lot caught Ethan’s attention and he swore violently as he saw another man approaching, his gun pointed at Shanahan’s back. Ethan shoved the girl behind him. The man fired once