Page 2 of Whispers Left Behind
Trust, once given so freely, twisted into a choking vine of betrayal.
If he managed to get her inside the barn, she wouldn’t be coming out alive. Such knowledge fueled her into frantically twisting in an attempt to reach his face. If she could hurt him enough to cause his grip to loosen, she might regain her freedom.
Rachel hadn’t expected him to release her so quickly, but her feet abruptly met the ground. Briefly stunned, he managed to grab another fistful of her hair. She instinctively reached up, but it was too late. Instead of yanking her back, he slammed her forward.
The blow to her head was severe.
His response to her stunned reaction was to effortlessly haul her across the threshold of the barn. He tossed her like a ragdoll onto the dirt floor. She rolled onto her back, fully expecting him to instantly end her life.
Instead, he remained standing over her as still as a statue.
The brief respite triggered hope.
“Please,” Rachel pleaded desperately, her voice somewhat distorted. Her vision was blurred, and there was an intense ringing in her ears. Her mind could still register the outline of his body from the moonlight slipping through the open barn door. “Please, don’t do this.”
The side effects from hitting her head were beginning to fade, and all the ways she could escape began to surface quickly. All she needed was a split second of distraction to make another run for it. She slowly lifted herself onto her elbows, curling her fingers into the palm of her right hand. She had managed to scoop up enough hay and dirt for one attempt at freedom.
“You’re going to die tonight.” His voice lacked any emotion. Had he always been this cold? This depraved? “I’ve waited a very long time for this. Too long.”
With a slow, deliberate movement, he withdrew a knife from somewhere inside his jacket. She hadn’t been certain at first what he held in his hand until the moonlight glinted off the blade. One of the few men who she had trusted with her life was about to cut it short. She choked back another sob and scrambled backward. Clambering to her feet, she flung the debris she had gathered into his face.
Unfortunately, he had struck first.
Searing heat formed a straight line across her neck.
He had brought his arm around so fast that she hadn’t even realized the blade had slit her throat until she failed to breathe. Her feeble attempt to draw air had resulted in a faint, strangled gurgle. Her intent had been to run after blinding him, but she could no longer move her legs.
She was frozen in place.
Drowning, yet she could still make out the sharp scent of hay and the coppery tang of blood. How was that even possible?
The warm substance began to cascade down her neck. Her body eventually followed the same direction. She sank to her knees as he stood before her, slowly wiping away the dirt from his face.
Evil wore many, many masks.
Darkness threatened to swallow her whole. A chilling cold had settled into her bones by the time she fell backward. Her fingers twitched, but it wasn’t through a will of their own. Her body was losing its life source and searching for an anchor.
Her heartbeat slowed to a gentle murmur.
Faded into a whisper.
Then…nothing.
Chapter Two
Kinsley Aspen
October
Thursday — 7:24 pm
“Do you have anysecrets, Aunt Kin?”
Warm water trickled through Kinsley Aspen's fingers as her eight-year-old niece came to stand beside her at the kitchen sink. Lily’s question had been innocent enough, yet the innocuous inquiry had struck a deep chord. It was impossible to stop the flood of complex emotions.
Hidden truths had a way of destroying a person.
“Everyone has secrets, peanut.” Kinsley cleared her throat as she squeezed the sponge. Enough white suds foamed for her to wash the rest of the dinner plate. She held the dish under the steady stream of water to rinse off the remaining soap. If only it were as easy to cleanse one’s soul. “Does your mom and dad know about the flashlight under your bed?”
