Page 148 of I'm Watching You

And then a switch inside him flipped. His gaze hardened to ice. He advanced on Nicole in two steps and hit her hard across the face. She dropped to her knees. Tasted blood. The handcuffs cut into her wrist.

‘You are a lying bitch,’ he spat. ‘You need to learn a lesson.’

She cupped her stinging face with her hand. ‘What are you going to do?’

With the ax in one hand, he moved toward Lindsay. ‘I think the world needs to know that Lindsay’s precious protector turned on her and cut off her hand.’

Nicole screamed and scrambled to her feet. ‘Richard, leave her alone.Please,I beg you. I’ll do whatever you want.’

‘Oh, you’ll do whatever I want. But first you need to learn a lesson.’

Lindsay’s mind had been crystal clear as she had lain on the hard earth and had listened to Richard rant and Nicolecry. Anger had roiled inside her as ants had crawled up under her shirt and started to bite her but she’d kept her eyes closed. She hadn’t made a coherent sound or moved as Richard had badgered and threatened Nicole. It had taken Lindsay all that was in her to keep her temper under control as Nicole had begged Richard to spare Lindsay’s life.

Just before Richard and Nicole had arrived, she’d been able to work the binding on her right hand loose so that she could slip her hand free. But she’d not had the time to loosen the ones on her other hand or her feet.

As Nicole had pushed open the barn door, Lindsay had had only had moments to scoop dirt up in her fist. Now, she needed Richard to get close so she could throw the dirt into his eyes.

Richard knelt beside Lindsay and ran the cold steel of the ax blade over her narrow wrist. ‘I wonder how many chops it will take to remove her hand? I’m willing to bet it hurts like a bitch.’

Nicole wept. ‘Don’t do this, Richard.Please, have pity.’

‘I have no pity for traitors. And that’s what you are, Christina. You’re a traitor.’

Lindsay peeked through the slits of her eyelids. Richard had turned to face Nicole. This was her chance.

She drew in a deep breath and in one violent jerk pulled her arm free and threw the dirt into his eyes. The dirt caught him directly in the face. He yelped, dropped the ax, and staggered back. He rubbed his face and hollered like a banshee.

Lindsay quickly grabbed the ax and cut the binding onher other hand. Her heart hammered in her chest as she sat up and sliced through the bindings of her ankles.

Nicole yanked on the handcuffs as if she were possessed. ‘Lindsay, run. Get away from him.’

Lindsay scrambled to her feet and ran to Nicole. ‘We’re both getting out of here. Now stretch out your arm so I can cut the chain.’

Nicole’s hand trembled as she pulled the chain taut.

Richard fumbled for the gun in his waistband and swiped the dirt from his eyes. ‘Bitch!’ He pointed the gun at Nicole and Lindsay. He cocked it and fired. The bullet whizzed past Lindsay’s head and cut through the side of the barn. Sunlight shone through the hole.

Lindsay froze. Her fingers gripped the ax handle.

Richard pointed the gun at Nicole. ‘Drop the blade or I’ll shoot Nicole in the head.’

Lindsay stared at Nicole. Tears streamed down Nicole’s face and her eyes pleaded for Lindsay not to give up.

Richard jabbed the gun in the air.‘Now.’

Lindsay laid down the ax on the workbench.

‘Clever,’ Richard said. ‘Toss the ax over in that corner. I don’t want you to be temped to try something again.’

Lindsay threw the ax in the corner.

Richard laughed. ‘You couldn’t save Mommy and now you won’t be able to save Nicole.’

Years of buried fury rose up in Lindsay. ‘You don’t know anything about my mother.’

He moved closer to Nicole. ‘I know a lot. Your friend Claire Carmichael had a lot to say as I sliced the flesh from her face.’

Sweat trickled down Lindsay’s back. ‘Screw you.’

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