Protector by Tressa Messenger Read Free Book Online Page A

office gossip for the first time in months in hopes of stories of the attacks coming up.  It’s impressive how much drama people create for themselves and how willing they are to openly share it with others.  Sherry in editing is having an affair with her husband’s best friend, Carl, who writes politics and has demons for children. Hmm…I wonder if he ever thought if maybe he went home every now and then to help raise them, instead of going to the bars every day after work with Sherry, they would act differently, Anna-Marie thinks to herself.  Sadly, the list goes on. 
    People don’t realize how short life is until their world is rocked, and then they are left scrambling as they try to figure out how it all went wrong.  She wonders if she ever noticed it before.  Anna-Marie tries hard to pay attention to everything, because every now and then people direct their thoughts to other things, besides their own selfish attention starved needs, which leads to current events, namely the latest animal attack.  Not that the subject takes much prompting. 
    Anna -Marie has learned wisely over the years to never follow gossip, only truth, but getting the scoop directly from the source will be a challenge.  Laura, who works in the office two doors down from Anna-Marie’s, has taken first seat on writing about the attacks.  Laura, however, isn’t much of a socializer, so picking her brain will be next to impossible.
     
    Anna-Marie’s articles come and go during the day and by night she continues her research and tracking.  She hasn’t thrown herself into anything like this since before Dylan’s death.  The thought of finding this creature and destroying it with months of built up anger and helplessness is exhilarating, almost euphoric.
     
    ***
     
    Friday comes fast.  She is excited to see Dylan as usual, but she is still nervous about going to the cemetery.  She will not tell Dylan about what she’s been up to this week or what she has planned for later.  He wouldn’t be too pleased if he knew. 
    “Hey , Dylan.  How was your week?  I hope you’re sleeping well,” Anna-Marie asks the air around her.
    “Mine has been good actually.”  She has to check herself so she doesn’t let on about her excitement for her plans for later.  “I went into work this week.  I think Peg was surprised, but happy to see me.”
    As usual she sits down on the warm grass under the shady tree, loving the feeling of his presence.  She closes her eyes and feels him all around her.  Words are never necessary.  Her typical greeting is familiar and comfortable.  Whatever is spoken after that isn’t as important.
    After a few minutes of soaking him in, Anna-Marie stands to leave.  “Okay, Dylan, I have to go.  I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, but I have work to do.  I love you, babe.  I’ll see you next week.”
     
    Tonight she has hunting to do.  With all of the information she has gathered all week she is ready.  She has mapped out and memorized a route to kick off her search.  She’s not exactly sure what is out there stalking the dark, so she prepares for anything. 
    It’s Friday night in her college town, so she has to wait until late to go out since the bars and clubs close around two in the morning.  That’s usually when people make their way back home to sleep off their drunkenness or score with some random stranger they met at the bar. 
    Anna -Marie knows she should be resting up, but sleep is impossible.  She is restless with anticipation.  As she waits, she throws on her most comfortable dark clothing in hopes of blending with the darkened night and good sneakers just in case she needs to run quickly. 
    At exactly three in the morning, Anna-Marie straps her loaded 9mm pistol to her hip.  The heavy cool steel feels foreign on her hip.  She got a hunting license when she was younger so that she could go hunting with Dylan and her dad.  Her dad insisted that she keep up her license through the