Promises to Keep by Nikki Sex, Zachary J. Kitchen Read Free Book Online Page B

fast as she could, to nail him in the nuts.
    Jonah
just laughed and jumped back.
    "Na-uh.
Bad girl.” His face contorted into a vicious, cruel grin.
    Panting
with fear and effort, Laura squirmed, trying to get away as he pushed up
against her. His hand returned to her breast.
    “Now
I'm gonna show you just what you're good for."

Chapter 11.
    Laura
closed her eyes, remembering that day long ago, when her mother tried to sell
her to her dealer for a fix. That man's breath stunk, too —the
familiar stench of an addict.
    It
was more than just rotten teeth.
    It
was as if they'd died and they didn't know it yet. The rot was taking them from
the inside out.
    Laura
knew what she had to do now, just as she had then. This time she'd use her
head. She'd plan it out and do it properly. She wound herself up like a spring,
ready to shove her knee into his groin once more, as hard as she could.
    This
time, she had to take him by surprise.
    Laura
knew that she’d better be quick, and the blow had better knock him down long
enough for her to get past him in the small corridor.
    A
blast of real fear rolled through her. If she hit him, but he got a hold of her
before she got down the stairs and out the door, he'd tear into her.
    I’d probably
never be the same again.
    Lots
of bad things had happened to her over the years, but rape had never been one
of them. Laura didn’t plan on breaking her track record.
    One ,
she thought. Two—
    "Is
everything OK out here?"
    Laura
recognized the voice instantly. Ron Phillips, apartment 2C. He was a nice older
man and lived alone. Laura opened her eyes wide, giving him a pleading look. A
dandelion tuff of white hair framed a mocha face full of concern.
    "Mind
your own damned business, nigger!" Jonah shouted at the man.
    Ron's
look of concern turned into one of cold determination and he set his jaw.
"Son, I think that it'd be best if you shut your mouth and move along now.
Nobody need get hurt."
    Keeping
Laura's breast in his grip, Jonah faced Ron. "What are you going to do
about it, old man?"
    Ron
lifted his shirttail; just enough to let Jonah and Laura see the butt of a
revolver tucked in the waist of his pants.
    "Let
her go and leave. Now. "
    Jonah
let Laura go, but he didn't leave. He took a step toward Ron, his fists
clenched. Laura saw him glance up the hallway, as if measuring the distance
between them.
    "You
think you can pull out that gun before I get to you?"
    Ron
shrugged. "You willing to bet your life on whether I can or not? I haven't
killed a man since Vietnam. Don't matter none. Once you've killed your first,
killing gets mighty easy—too easy. You want to find out; you just come on over
here. If you're wrong, you'll be leaving in a bag."
    Jonah
took a step toward Ron and then hesitated.
    Ron
stared at him with a deep and penetrating look, as if he was taking the measure
of the man. They sized each other up. Jonah’s body stiffened, bracing to
attack.
    Laura
felt certain he was going to rush the old man.
    She'd
already decided to tackle Jonah around the knees if he went after Ron.
Hopefully, that would give Ron the time he needed to take aim and blow his
drug-addled brains out once and for all.
    Jonah
took another tentative step. Ron stood stock-still and stared into the younger
man's eyes.
    "Walk
away, old man," said Jonah, a slight tremor in his voice. "Walk away
and go back into your house like a good little coon."
    Ron
didn't move.
    Laura
wasn't sure if he was even breathing.
    Jonah
raised his foot, as if to take yet another step towards Ron. Laura tensed,
ready to jump. Jonah slowly brought his foot down on one of her spilled apples,
deliberately crushing it underfoot into a gooey mass of pulp and skin.
    He
turned suddenly, as if whatever courage he had, vanished like a thief into darkness.
It was gone just as fast and as completely as an irresponsible, unwed father
might disappear the moment his girlfriend got pregnant.
    Jonah
fled, running down the stairs, through the doorway