The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,307

to nick her fingers now and then when peeling vegetables.

She sidestepped the drops and then followed them out the door and off the porch. It took her a few moments to find the small droplets in the grass, but when she did, she continued to follow them. She was halfway across the yard when she realized that the door to the root cellar was open, and that the blood trail seemed to be leading in that direction.

She couldn’t imagine why they would all be in the cellar at once, or why they hadn’t answered when she’d called before, but her heart was lighter as she started toward it.

“T-Bone! T-Bone!” She whistled sharply, expecting the dog to come bounding up the steps. When he didn’t, she couldn’t help but frown. Whatever was going on still didn’t feel right.

She was less than twenty feet from the cellar when a man emerged and started toward her. Letty was so startled by his appearance that it took her a few moments to realize he was holding a gun on her.

He waved the gun in her face as he grinned.

“Well, well now… I was just comin’ to get you. After all, you’re the belle of the ball.”

Instinctively, Letty cupped her hands across the swell of her belly and took a step back. Even from where she was standing, the stranger’s stench was evident. A few seconds later, she doubled up her fists as she stared down the barrel of the gun.

“What have you done with my family?”

He laughed, revealing a mouth full of broken and rotting teeth.

“They’re all fine… just a little tied up right now,” he said, and then waved the gun at her again. “You and me got some business to do. If you’re real good, I might be persuaded to turn everyone loose.”

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Want? What do I want?”

Letty shuddered. The flat, almost vacant stare on his face was more frightening than if he was screaming at her.

“You can have anything on the place. You want a horse? Some food? Just take it and go.”

The man’s eyes narrowed as his smile disappeared.

“Now, now… it’s not all that simple, missy.”

It was at this point, Letty realized part of the stains on his hands were blood—almost as red as the drops she’d seen on the porch. She didn’t want to think of who he’d hurt—maybe beyond redemption. Despite the fear roiling in her belly, she remembered something she’d learned the hard way a long time ago. Never let them see your fear. Never let them see you cry.

“Then speak your peace and get off my property,” she snapped.

The stranger was startled by her behavior. He was the one with the gun. He was the one in charge. She was supposed to be crying. She was supposed to be scared.

“You’re not the one callin’ the shots,” he said shortly. “Shut up and get over here.”

“Or what?” Letty challenged.

Again, the man felt as if he was losing some ground. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.

“Or I’ll do more than bloody that dark-haired bitch’s nose.”

Letty hid a shiver. So Delilah was the one that he’d hurt.

“I want to see my friends,” she said. “Show me they’re all okay and then we’ll talk.”

A long string of curses spilled into the air between them as he pulled back his jacket and took another pistol out of the waist of his pants. Without taking a breath, he fired into the ground right in front of where Letty was standing. Dirt showered up onto the hem of her dress, but she didn’t move.

“Is that supposed to reassure me that you the kind of man who keeps his word?”

“Damn it all to hell, woman. Shut up! Shut up! Just don’t talk. I’m the one who’s talking. I’m the one with a gun. You don’t talk. You don’t do anything but what I tell you.”

Letty swallowed past a knot in her throat. It was all she could do to maintain eye contact with him, but she knew his kind. Showing fear would feed into his power. It was the last thing she intended to do. So she stood without moving or talking, waiting to see what happened next.

“They say you’re rich. Are you rich, lady?”

“Yes.”

He giggled.

The sound turned Letty’s stomach.

“Well then… here’s the deal. You share some of the wealth and we’ll see about lettin’ them bitches down in the cellar go free. How much money you reckon you got in the house?”

“Maybe ten or twelve dollars.”

His