Divine Savior by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online

was near death. Her wounds were so severe that Shade knew she would die without medical attention. When Shade heard a noise at the door, she looked up as one of the neighbors came to the door, her body already readying for another attack.
    “ I done called the cops. Every night it’s the same shit. If’n it ain’t them kids screaming, it’s her a’screaming at them.”
    Shade, for the most part, ignored her and went back to holding the children close to her. When the neighbor, Lisa Coleman—Shade had read the name from the mailbox downstairs—handed Shade a couple of blankets a few minutes later to cover them with, Shade thanked her, surprised that she had left and come back already. Lisa then plopped down on the couch, not saying much at first.
    “ I wanna know what you think you’re doing in my apartment. You need to get your ass home right now, you stupid cow. I gots myself some entertaining to do and it don’t involve the likes of you.”
    Shade glanced over at Brenda when she started yelling at Lisa from her slumped position on the lumpy, dirty couch. Not that she really cared, but Shade had forgotten about her. Her total focus had been on the children.
    When Lisa got up, Shade thought for sure she was going to leave her here with Brenda and was thoroughly surprised when the shorter woman backhanded Brenda right across the mouth. Lisa had hit Brenda hard enough that she fell over the back of the couch and landed in a lump on the floor. Neither Shade nor Lisa checked to see if Brenda was okay. Neither woman cared whether she was dead nor not, or so it seemed.
    “ I’ve been wanting to do that for months,” Lisa said with a grin. “Never thought hitting a person could be so satisfying. Not that I wanna do it again, but boy, that sure felt good. I’m Lisa Coleman by the way.” Shade might have laughed if she hadn’t been so sick of Brenda too.
    “ Shade Doe. And thank you very much for your help.” Then Shade went back to watching over the two children while Lisa seemed to watch over Shade.
    The man pinned against the wall started screaming at them to take the fucking knife outta him. One stern look from Lisa had him shut right up. Shade ignored him for the most part. Her heart was broken, as broken as the little girl in her arms. She rocked her gently and hummed some tune she had heard a long time ago, going back and forth, back and forth.
    When the police arrived, they asked a lot of questions, then they took Brenda and the wolf into custody. Shade as well. When the ambulance arrived a few minutes later, the children were taken away, both still alive for now. Shade could tell that the medics were shocked and not very hopeful about their chances of survival. Becca was in the worst shape; her injuries were massive and she had lost a great deal of blood. Both children, an attendant had said to her partner, had evidently been raped repeatedly.
    Shade sat in the jail cell alone, her heart aching for what she had witnessed and done. The police, knowing Brenda, knew that most, if not all, she was telling them was not the whole truth. And no matter what Brenda and the man, Peterson, had claimed, they knew enough about Shade to know that she couldn’t have done what they were telling them.
    Shade didn’t have anyone to call, not really. She didn’t have a lawyer and wouldn’t have the money to pay one if she did. She had called the hospital as soon as she could make her one call to see if her friend nurse Diana Ridge would please make sure the kids got the care they deserved.
    “ You should not worry about dem kids; I’ve seen dem in here enough to know what the poor lambs need. You needin anythin, sweetie?”
    Diana didn’t know that Shade had been arrested with the kid’s mom, apparently. Shade didn’t tell her either. She thought if she knew, maybe she wouldn’t watch over the kids for her.
    “ No, ma’am, I’m fine. Just please watch out for Brent and Becca. I’ll be in as soon as I can, all