Saturday Snippet

In honor of Halloween, today's topic is scary/thrilling. I decided use an excerpt from my latest Intrigue, THE BIG GUNS. It's not spooky, but the book is a thriller so I think it fits.

Here's the start of the scene:

"Don't you dare give me over to this guy. I will hunt you down and…" Something. She'd do something violent if Zach abandoned her now. Her hands clutched at his shirt. She'd pull out every one of his chest hairs and then start with his skin to make her point.

When he stared at her with cold eyes, a bolt of fear crashed through her. Then she heard it. A whisper so low she thought she slipped into a dream. "Trust me."

Trust me? At Zach's toneless murmur she wanted to run, to scream for help. To do all the things that would seal her death.

Before she could argue, he set her to the side, steadying her with one hand. He made one last command, this one in a much stronger and louder voice for Johnnie to hear. "Stay. I'm not chasing you around the woods again, woman."

"That's right," Johnnie said.

Zach turned back to Johnnie. "Okay, my arms are free. No weapons. No bullets. You want to see who's in charge of the lady now?"

Johnnie nodded in Zach's general direction. "Where's your gun?"

"Lost it."

She hoped that wasn't true. Counted on it being a lie meant to throw the attacker off.

Johnnie's gaze clouded. "No way, man."

"If I have a weapon it would be aimed at you right now."

"I've seen you fight with fists. That was bad enough." Johnnie looked from her to Zach and back again. Sweat

formed in the dirty creases on his forehead as desperation sparked behind his cold eyes.

"Thought you wanted to battle man-to-man," Zach said.

"I have a better idea." Johnnie pointed the gun at her. "Come here."



"Never going to happen." The hours of being bait ended now. She was done being a pawn in this screwed up game.

Johnnie spit a wad of blood onto the porch. "Now, lady."

Zach held out an arm and blocked her path. "Stay right where you are."

"You don't want to fight me," Johnnie said.

Zach held up his hands in surrender. "You're right. So, why don't you put the gun down?"

If she hadn't been watching Zach so closely she might not have seen the sharp blade peek out from the edge of his shirtsleeve.

"No deal," Johnnie said.

"I'm going to put my hands down."

"Fine, man, but I ain't dropping the gun."

"Well, hell, just don't shoot me by accident." The hard edge left Zach's voice, as if he were joking with a friend instead of staring down the barrel of a gun with an idiot attached to the other end. "I don't know any woman worth being shot for, do you?"

Johnnie hesitated then let out a cackling laugh. Within seconds the obscene sound turned to a wheezing cough. "Only good for one thing."

Zach frowned at the other man. "You okay?"

"Let's hope not," she mumbled under her breath.

Johnnie tried to suck in air. "I think you broke my rib."

Zach whistled through clenched teeth. "Man, I start fighting and something takes over."

"You're insane when you throw punches."

"You have no idea." Zach lowered his hands at the same time Johnnie eased his grip on the gun.

As soon as Johnnie pointed the barrel toward the cracked wooden porch, Zach brought his arm down in an arc and sent the knife slicing through the air. The blade shot in a direct line and lodged with a sickening thud in Johnnie's shoulder.

He squealed as his gun fell to the hard floor and his body slammed into the porch post. In a flurry of profanity, he slipped to the ground. A crimson stain seeped from around the new wound.

Sela wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Too much of her energy went to keep from screaming. She didn't have

anything left in that second for an escape.

Zach snatched up the gun and aimed it at Johnnie. "Don't you ever threaten her again."

Johnnie heaved and coughed. "Whatcha want with her?"

"That's my business."

Wrong, it was her business. And not knowing provided the perfect reason to get the hell out of there. She inched back toward the wall and started to do just that. If she could keep Zach focused on Johnnie, she had a chance to escape. To where, she had no idea. Preferably somewhere without a gun.

"Don't even think about it, Sela."

She froze at the sound of Zach's husky voice. "What?"

"Whatever it is you're planning in that head of yours."

"I didn't…I…"

"You're coming inside with me."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. She'd tried playing along. Maybe begging would work. "Let me go, Zach."

"This isn't a bargain." He grabbed her elbow. "We have some things to talk about."

She tried to break his hold but wasn't any more successful this time than the last. "You're going to regret this."

"I have no doubt."

____________

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