He Can Fall: She Can Series by Melinda Leigh Read Free Book Online

his hands over his bald head as he paced. Frigid air poured through the open door, and Amanda’s bones quaked in a violent, whole-body shiver.
    “Tanner.” The redhead cupped her husband’s cheek, leaving streaks of blood on his ever-whitening face. “Oh my God,” she cried in a soft voice. “He’s so white. He’s barely breathing, and there’s so much blood.”
    “Keep pressure on that towel,” Amanda whispered, but the redhead was right. Tanner’s condition had definitely deteriorated. How long could he survive without medical help?
    “He’s going to die.” The redhead looked up at Amanda with lost, hopeless eyes, one hand automatically straying to her swollen belly. Her body trembled hard in her nightie, the chill and despair clearly sapping her strength. “We don’t have a chance. We’re all going to die.”
    Amanda glanced toward the door. The men were still arguing outside. The girl needed hope. She needed to stay calm. Hysteria could spark anger from the gunmen. Win was especially cruel and volatile, but Amanda could sense equally dangerous cold disregard from the others. Whatever decisions they made would be based on their own chances for escape and survival.
    “No, listen.” Amanda dropped her voice to barely more than a breath. “My husband is out there. He was an army Ranger. He can help us. I promise.”
    Hope glimmered in the redhead’s watery blue eyes. “Really?”
    “Really.”
    The redhead swiped the tears from her cheeks, leaving bloody smears where she would have applied blush. With a resolute breath, she plucked another towel from the pile and applied it to her husband’s shoulder.
    Win and Carl came back into the room. Win stomped snow off his skateboard shoes. His eyes locked on Amanda with a predatory gleam. He started toward her. On the way past the prep table, he reached toward the cutting board and picked up a chef’s knife.
    Amanda cringed, but there was nowhere to hide.

C HAPTER S EVEN
    Sean’s momentary optimism faded as the men retreated into the kitchen. He’d hoped they would come looking for their buddy.
    “They went back inside.”
    “They did.” Sean rubbed Mia’s shoulder. Her body shook. Fear or cold? Probably both.
    What were the men planning? They obviously missed their fourth man but were too smart to wander through the woods to find him.
    Damn.
    In the forest, Sean would be able to pick them off one by one. Now he was back to plan A, getting inside the inn. But first, he had to find a place to stash Mia. Somewhere warm and relatively safe. None of the outbuildings was heated. He couldn’t risk a fire. His gaze returned to the inn. It was a big building. There had to be somewhere inside to hide a very small child.
    He squatted down to her level. “Do you ever play hide-and-seek, Mia?”
    “Sure.” She nodded.
    “Where are the best hiding places around here?”
    She considered, her tiny brow puckering. “In the guest rooms, but I’m not allowed to play in them anymore ’cause we’re going to be open soon, and they’re all finished. The room over the garage is good too. It’s full of stuff we don’t use.”
    If he were taking an inn hostage, the first thing he’d do was search the entire place. So, if the rooms were already searched, would Mia be safe hiding in one of them? Would the gunmen think to double-check? But how to get inside? Sean assumed the gunmen were all armed and would be watching the doors.
    He glanced around the tree trunk and back at the inn. Another quick movement in the window. The men were still watching. How to get them both inside without using a door?
    “If I can get us inside, do you think you can hide and not come out until I come for you?” Sean asked.
    Her lips trembled, and the soft quiver in her voice broke his heart. “I’m good at hiding. It takes Grandpa forever to find me.”
    He tucked her behind him, hoping his decision to save his wife wouldn’t cost Mia her life.

    Amanda’s lungs locked as Win