When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason Read Free Book Online

attempts on her life, Serena felt like Camille would be safer with her parents.”
    She turned back to him, shoulders stiff, features composed. “Let’s get out of here.”
    “Why?”
    “I’m not sure why. I’m uneasy and edgy and I don’t like it. Whenever I feel like this, something always happens.”
    Colton felt his frown deepen. “This place is tighter than Fort Knox. You’re fine here.”
    “Mentally, I get that. My gut’s screaming at me, though.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “I want to check on something.”
    “What did you see?”
    “Nothing. At least nothing really out of the ordinary.”
    But she’d seen something disturbing enough to want to check it out.
    Colton shot to his feet and followed her to the front door. She punched in the code to disarm the alarm and they stepped outside. He watched her take in her surroundings. She bristled like a spooked porcupine. The hot, muggy southern night made sweat break out across his brow and in the middle of his lower back. The smells of honeysuckle and freshly mowed grass hit him. But nothing that triggered his internal alarms.
    Something had set hers off, though. Jillian hurried around the side of the house. Colton followed, watchful, but not overly concerned.
    Behind him, a loud boom rocked the house.
    A scream came from around the corner.
    Spinning, he lost his balance as the ground shook. He went to his knees, arms outstretched. The front door of the house landed beside him. Flames licked through the shattered windows.
    Fear caught his breath as much as the smoke covering him. “Jillian!”
    She appeared in front of a haze of smoke, blood on her forehead. “Colton! Are you all right?”
    “Yeah.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the burning house. With his left hand, he grabbed his phone as neighbors stepped out of their homes to gape, phones pressed to their ears. He paused. The neighbors would handle the 911 call. He punched in Hunter’s number.
    Hunter answered on the third ring. Colton cut off his greeting. “Someone just blew up Serena’s house. I need you out here now.”
    “On the way.” Hunter severed the connection and Colton knew he was already calling in reinforcements. Hunter’s unspoken questions would be answered soon enough.
    “What was it? How did—” Jillian gasped and gaped.
    Smoke billowed toward them. “We’ll figure that out later. Right now, we’re too exposed. Whoever did that wanted you dead.”
    “You think?”
    “Sarcasm’s not your best asset.” He pulled her toward his truck. She stumbled along behind him. He opened the driver’s door and she hauled herself up and into the passenger seat. Colton climbed in after her and slammed the door shut. “Hunker down. No sense in attracting a sniper’s bullet if someone’s holed up and watching.”
    But she was already hunched down, her eyes scanning the neighbors’ windows.
    Okay. Now he was concerned.
    Twisting the key, he looked at her. “Someone means business about getting rid of you.” Colton pressed the gas pedal and backed the truck from the front of the burning house. He pulled down the street and parked. Far enough away so he could watch the crowd gathering and keep Jillian safe if whoever had done this was still around and wanting to finish the job.
    Shaking, she gave a humorless laugh. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Her lips twisted. “They would have succeeded too, if I hadn’t seen those birds.” She looked back at Serena’s houseand Colton followed her gaze. Tears flooded her eyes. “And they don’t seem to care if they have collateral damage.”
    Through the truck windows he’d left cracked, the faint sound of sirens reached his ears. “Help’s on the way.” He blinked. “Birds?” He pulled a handful of napkins from the center console and leaned over to press one to the cut on her forehead.
    She replaced his hand with hers. “When I was looking out the window. A whole mess of them flew into