excerpt
“Rachael!” he bellowed.
She lay on her back on the loose hay, jean-covered legs kicking
and lashing at the hulk that straddled her. Bare arms flailed; wild
blonde hair half concealed her face which showed not terror as he had
expected, but frustration and anger. In an instant Ronald regained
his senses. Hurtling across the space between them, he grabbed
Rachael’s bare-chested attacker and, in spite of the sheer bulk of the
man, hurled him across the loft.
For a moment Ronald stood motionless, torn between rushing to
his sister’s side or throwing himself on the blubbering hulk that now
lay sprawled on the hay where he had landed. But Rachael’s angry
mutterings drew him to her. Kneeling at her side, he touched her hair
with one disfigured hand.
“Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“N … no, I’m okay.” She sat up and sent a withering glance across
the loft to where her assailant struggled to his feet. “He doesn’t realize
his own strength, the big lout.”
A scuffling noise behind him brought Ronald upright. The man
had regained his feet and Ronald lunged for him, catching him by an
arm as he stumbled towards the loft opening.
“Don’t hurt him, Ronnie.”
“I’ll more than hurt him if I ever catch him around here again.”
Ronald glared into the big sweating face. “Now get on home, Tim,
and don’t come back. You hear?”
Tim’s mouth opened but no sound came out. Obviously sensing
he was going to be set free with only a warning, he pulled himself
from Ronald’s grasp.
Ronald took the opportunity to push the big man backwards
so that he had to do an awkward dance step to keep from tumbling
down the loft stairs. “I said, do you hear me?”
“Yeah, yeah, Ronnie. Sure, okay, I’ll go now. But I didn’t mean to
hurt Rachael, honest. I was just wrestling.” He turned a pleading
look on her. “I didn’t mean to tear your blouse … I’m … I’m sorry.”
Libros Libertad 