Once (Gypsy Fairy Tale) by Dana Michelle Burnett Read Free Book Online Page A

you?” I asked, placing my armload of goods on the counter. I was more than ready to go home for the night, but considering my finances, I couldn’t pass up a possible sale.
    The man didn’t seem to hear me.
    “Good evening,” I said a little louder this time. “Can I help you?”
    The man looked at me with bloodshot eyes, “Where’s the other guy?”
    My senses began to tingle in warning. There was something wrong in the way that he was looking around and how he was craning his neck to see behind me and into the back room.
    I read somewhere that fear was a sign of weakness, so I balled my shaking hands into fists and came around from behind the counter. Whatever his purpose here was, I wouldn’t let him see that he was frightening me.
    “You need to leave,” I ordered.
    Instead of leaving, he took a few steps towards me.
    “Now don’t be like that,” he scolded.
    “I said get out!” I yelled, hoping someone nearby would hear.
    He stopped for a moment, as if he too was waiting to see if it was possible for anyone to hear me. When no one came, he clicked his tongue on his teeth and took a few more steps towards me.
    I stood my ground, fighting the urge to back away from him. I glanced around at the things within my reach, hoping for something I could use for a weapon, but unfortunately anything that would’ve been useful was out in the barn.
    He chuckled as if he could read my thoughts or maybe he was just amused by my predicament.
    I looked past him to the front door. My stomach knotted as I wondered if I could make it past him and out into the street.
    Following my gaze, he laughed again.
    “Go ahead missy,” he said. “But are you sure that you’re fast enough?”
    Before fear could paralyze me, I made a run for it. I darted past him, reaching the knob and clawing at it before he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me away.
    “Turn me loose!” I screamed as I struggled against him.
    I kicked and scratched at him, but it was all in vain. I was about to scream again but I felt a knife at my throat.
    “Now that’s enough of that,” he hissed as he pulled me back against his chest.
    I whimpered as the knife pressed into my neck, “Please... Please...”
    He tightened his grip on me, “We’re going to lock the door and then you’re going to go over and get into the register like a good little girl, and we’re not going to have any problems are we?”
    “Please," I begged. "Take anything you want.”
    Releasing me with a shove, he nodded toward the door. “Go ahead, lock it.”
    I turned and went to the door, turning the latch with shaking hands. I could feel him watching my every move.
    Tonight’s top news story: Harmony Jacobson was killed in an attempted robbery because she was an idiot...
    He came up behind me again, placing the knife against my cheek as his other hand stroked the side of my hip.
    “Now let’s have some fun,” he whispered in my ear.
    I closed my eyes, praying that fate would be kind enough to make it a quick death.
    There was a loud crash of glass in a rush of air behind me. I waited for the blood to come. I waited to die, but my heart continued beating, pounding in my ears.
    I’m not dead...
    My eyes fluttered open and took in the broken remains of the front window. I turned around to see a bloody Kieran standing over the limp body of my attacker.

Chapter 8
     
     
    “So what exactly happened here?” Officer Reynolds asked as he kicked at the broken bits of glass on the floor, not even looking up as his partner led the beaten intruder out the door.
    I came out of the back room with the white first aid kit and walked back over to where a bloody Kieran was seated. Kieran’s eyes met mine and there was a silent plea there that I didn’t quite understand.
    “Well,” I began as I placed the open case on the counter and started cleaning the small cuts on Kieran’s face. “It all happened so fast.”
    Officer Reynolds took a pen and a small pad of paper from his