Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1 by Amanda Washington Page B

slate, but if
we’re gonna do this, you have to be honest with me. We work
together, or not at all. Do not lie to me and don’t you dare
manipulate me again.”
    Connor watched her. So … unpredictable , he
thought. Just ten minutes ago she was screaming at him and now
… Ground rules for a
partnership?
    She held out her hand, interrupting
his thoughts. “Deal?”

CHAPTER TEN
     
    CONNOR STARED AT my open hand while I
wondered what was going through his mind. His expression shifted.
The indifferent face of a practiced attorney stared back at me for
a moment. Then the sides of his lips turned up into a grin that
made me feel like guppy swimming dangerously close to a shark. But
it was too late to recall the offer.
    “ Deal.” He grasped my hand and firmly
shook it.
    Not to be outdone, I squeezed his hand as
hard as I could.
    He chuckled.
    I pulled my hand away and resisted the
urge to wipe it on my pants.
     
    * * *
     
    We headed north again, and
this time Connor walked beside us. The river led us for four more
days. Often we’d stop early to fish, taking advantage of the
proximity of the water . The abundant catches were a
blessing, and we rarely had to dip into our meager
provisions.
    By the time the sun reached its zenith
on the fifth day, it was hidden behind angry, dark clouds.
Lightning lit up the sky, accompanied by the foreboding background
music of thunder. The temperature dropped quickly, and then the
clouds split open and dumped their contents on our heads in a
sudden downpour.
    Connor and I each grabbed one of
Ashley’s hands and ran for cover toward the nearest group of trees.
We huddled together and searched the area for shelter. Multiple dark houses lined both sides of our new
discovery: a golf course. We set our sights on the closest house
and ran for it.
    The windows were busted, but
ironically, the front door was locked. Connor slipped through the
broken window and let us in. The home smelled faintly of mold and
dust, but that was all. Ashley and I dripped on the hardwood floor
while Connor drew his knife, motioned for us to stay put, and
disappeared.
    The house was impressive. Vaulted
ceilings, professionally painted and textured walls, classy light
fixtures, and a gorgeous, brick fireplace were just a few of the
features that made it so appealing. Our shoes crunched on the
shattered glass from the window as we admired the custom moldings
of the living room.
    Now that we were shielded from the
pounding rain, I couldn’t hear Ashley’s teeth chattering. “Come on.
You need to get out of those wet clothes.” I grabbed her hand and
headed for the stairs, almost running into Connor.
    “ Upstairs is clear.” He scooted around
us.
    “ Oh Ash, he’s like our own, personal
guard dog.” I tried to pat him on the head, but he moved away from
me.
    Ashley giggled as I towed her up the
stairs.
    Both the smaller bedrooms had
obviously belonged to boys, but the resident of the farthest room
had been about Ashley’s size. She grabbed sweatpants and a
sweatshirt while I searched the top drawers for socks.
    “ Here you go.” I held up a pair of the
boy’s underwear.
    She scrunched up her face. “I don’t think
so.”
    I attempted to hand them to her, but
she backed away. “Afraid they might bite you?” I
laughed.
    “ Very funny. I don’t need underclothes
that bad.”
    I was not nearly as picky. In fact,
the discovery of a clean sports bra in the master bedroom threw me
into a victory dance. Finding pants was a bit trickier. My jeans
used to be size twelve. I’d worked out religiously and made every
attempt to diet, but try as I might; there was no squeezing my
ample derrière into anything smaller. But now, I had trouble
finding pants the right length. Like usual, everything I found in
the woman’s dresser fit around the waist with no problems, but only
came to the middle of my calf. Definitely not ideal for trudging
through the forest. Sighing, I pulled on a pair of men’s
sweatpants—at