Page 91 of Cruel Hearts

At the end of the hallway, I stepped into the guest tower and unlocked the door to my room. Morning sun streamed in through the tall windows, obscuring my view of the pond and gardens. I walked to my knicker drawer. Time to put that sexy Victoria’s Secret underwear to good use.

I stepped on a pen, which rolled under my foot, making me stumble forward. “Shit!”

My arms shot out, and I landed on my hands and knees.

An almighty explosion filled the air, showering me with shards of glass.

Ringing filled my ears and terror pierced my heart. A gunshot. Maybe if I stayed still, the shooter might think—

Another gunshot rang through the air, this time, accompanied by a cloud of feathers, presumably from a cushion. This was no accident. My room overlooked the gardens, which were several fields away from the woods. Whoever this shooter was, he had come for me.

And he also knew I was still alive.

Fuck.

The ringing in my ears faded, replaced by the sound of barking dogs. How much would I bet that Elizabeth and Lady Liddell were sitting pretty somewhere with the perfect alibi?

I crawled on my belly toward the door, not daring to raise my head or waste time glancing over my shoulder. Broken glass sliced through my forearms, my tights, my shins, but I didn’t stop.

Until I heard the sound of a pistol cocking from behind my head.

END OF BOOK TWO

READ BOOK THREE