Chapter 64

I screamed again under that hand that captured me, and I wanted to struggle. I smelled the leather in my nostrils. It was a worn glove, but the fingers it covered were not at all friendly.

Then, to my surprise, I heard Nika’s voice in my ear:

“If you don’t calm down, I won’t let you go!” she told me, in a low but fierce whisper.

The relief that washed over me was immediate. My heart was pounding painfully in my ears and temples, and her furious murmuring caused another ringing in my head. I was still tender from the explosion; the wound on my forehead began to hurt, hidden under my hair. I nodded silently and, in the end, the woman released me. I turned to face her. Nika was looking at me with a hardness that frightened me. The impatience and annoyance could be seen on her face. And the dried marks of Richie’s blood on her cheeks…

“What are you doing here?” I asked her, uncomfortable.

“How about it? I babysit. The sheriff’s wife told us where you were w