by SUE FINEMAN
The snow came down heavily as they slogged along side by side. Tess slid and fell to her knees. John grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “Okay?”
She nodded, but she stepped gingerly, as if her feet hurt. They probably did, considering all the junk he’d pulled out of them.
“Tess, hold onto me so we don’t get separated.” Thick snow swirled around them, reducing visibility to a couple of feet, and he’d never been so cold. John pushed ahead, pulling Tess along with him. They had to make it to the main road and flag someone down.
He turned often to look behind them, but he could no longer see the car. He linked arms with Tess and felt her shivering. Reality turned fuzzy as he trudged along picturing his sister, his biggest supporter, dressed in black, standing at his gravesite holding a single white rose. What would happen to Lindsay if he died tonight? He’d promised to take care of her in her old age. Syd would undoubtedly be blubbering like a baby. In spite of Syd’s irritating nature and money-hungry attitude, John knew his agent genuinely cared about him.
If he died, would his mother be on the other side waiting for him? How would his obituary read? What would they say about him on the news, or was his work important enough to be mentioned? Would people remember him like they remembered James Dean, or would he fade into obscurity?
He glanced behind them and at the woman by his side, and a silly thought came to mind. Where are the cameras? I’m with a wounded blonde in a snowstorm and there’s a bad guy chasing us. This is too good to waste.
She tugged on his arm. “What are you laughing about?”
<>
Larry saw the brake lights when the Lexus skidded and stopped. Grinning, he made his way to the car. Tess and the man were long gone, their footsteps buried in the thick snow. To his surprise, the idiot had left the car doors unlocked. He was tempted to drive it back to his cabin. Damn shame to waste a fine piece of machinery like this, but he had a better use for the car.
He found the registration and a cell phone, both useful items, and then released the gas cap. He intended to send a message to the son-of-a-bitch who took his woman.
Nobody took something that belonged to him.
Nobody.
<>
The explosion startled Tess and she pulled John down in the snow to make him less of a target. As she turned to look at the fireball behind them, her heart raced so fast she couldn’t catch her breath. Larry had blown up John’s car.
He pushed himself to his knees. “Aw, shit!”
Tess stood and reached for his hand. “John, let’s go before he comes after us.”
“I loved that car.” He whined like a little boy who’d just lost his favorite toy.
Tess leaned down and put her face in his. “John, Larry owns a bunch of guns. If he has one with him, we have to move before he kills you.”
He scrambled to his feet.
Larry wouldn’t shoot her. It would be too quick, too humane. He might shoot John, but Larry would want to catch her so he could play with her.
And Larry’s idea of play was torture for his playmate.
**Thank you for reading the excerpt of Nightmare in the Woods. If you’d like to read the book in its entirety, it’s coming soon to Kindle and Nook.**
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed reading Ginny and Steffen’s book, the last book in the Kane Family Ghosts series. Can you imagine seeing and hearing things no one else can see and hear? Would it drive you crazy? Sylvia Browne, a famous psychic from Seattle, once said she had to chase the ghosts out of her bedroom so she could sleep. I can’t imagine having ghosts hovering around me all the time.
I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at [email protected]
Books by Sue Fineman
Available on Kindle and Nook
The Martinson Ranch Series
The Mitchell Money
Ginger’s Grief
Maggie’s Man
The Gregory Series
On the Run
On the Lam
On the Hunt
On the Edge
The Donatelli Series
Nick’s Journey
Maxine
Blind Love
The Inheritance
The Inn at Dead Man’s Point
The Kane Ghosts Series
The Ghost in the Basement
The Ghosts Upstairs
The Ghost at the Farm
The Ghosts in the Attic
The Ghosts in the Audience
Single Title
Gran’s Guilt
BIO SHEET
Sue Fineman lives in a small town in Washington state with her husband of forty-nine years, a tiny poodle with no tail, and a scruffy rescue dog who wags her tail all the time. Her three grown children are nearly old enough to join AARP. She also has one adorable grandson and multiple grandpuppies and grandkittens. At one time she and her husband took in foster kids, but that was when they were younger and had more patience. These days her husband manages to try Sue’s patience on a daily basis, but she’s decided to keep him anyway. She doesn’t want to start over training a new husband.
She’s been a secretary, technical writer, real estate agent, and foster mother to five children. Always an avid reader, she began writing in her mid-fifties, when she quit her day job. Sue has written over two dozen books in the past fifteen years.
To contact Sue, send an email to [email protected]. To read her blog, go to http://suefineman.blogspot.com/.