The Glass Man - Lila Gray Book 1

Chapter Four

One whiff of the outhouse sent me behind the barn to do my business instead. A shiver raced through me as I scanned the forest beyond the gurgling river. I found no warnings of my hunter. No shrill, whining insects that always preceded him. No weight of his presence on my mind, like two strong magnets repelling each another. I didn't know if he affected the insects, or if they warned me intentionally. Without them, I'd have died years ago, along with the rest of my family.

I hadn't seen him in several weeks. Every night, my anxiety grew with the certainty my luck had to be running out. There, by the river, my guard came down, and the tightness through my shoulders eased. I hadn't relaxed since the diamond-eyed freak found me for the first time when I was thirteen. Almost seven years had gone by since that night, where I lost all that I was, along with a future that held some semblance of safety and happiness.

Other than the black and white barn and the house, a few other buildings dotted the property. A shed covering a rusty tractor and wagon. Some sort of grain storage silo. A small chicken coop on the far side of the house. The energy I'd felt earlier had to have come from somewhere. I'd start with the barn, the most likely place to hide something, but I needed to hurry up and get out of the darkness. I owned the day, but the night belonged to my enemy.

I stalked forward, scanning the twilight for any of Liam's goons who might be lurking, thankful I appeared to be alone. The barn doors hung on metal rails at the top. I tipped the bottom out far enough to peek inside, but the darkness kept me from seeing much of anything. As my eyes adjusted from the moonlight to the inky shade inside the barn, a tiny flicker of candlelight caught my eye. Damn. Clancy had mentioned sleeping in the barn.

"What you doin' out here?" A guy with voice that sounded like it had been dragged through the gravel said to my back.

I whirled around and jammed my knuckles against the heavy door. Cursing, I shook out my fingers, my heart thumping a frantic tune against my ribs. What was with these guys? Back-country and stealth didn't often overlap.

"Boss don't like people snoopin' 'round his business." The old guy from the shed stepped out of the barn's moon-shadow. I could have set a plate on top of his grey brush cut and it wouldn't have moved. The eerie light cast shadows onto his face, leaving pools of darkness where his eyes should have been. I shivered.

"I'm sorry, I just..." Think, Lila. "I grew up on a farm. Seeing this barn brought back some memories. I didn't mean to be nosy." I smiled, holding it even when he scowled back.

He walked toward me with a limp. His left leg appeared to be an inch or two shorter than his right one. "Where's this farm you grew up on?"

That stare weighed on me even though I couldn't see his eyes. My pulse betrayed me, leaping out of my neck. All of the places I'd traveled scrolled through my mind. "A town in Ontario."

"Canada. Which town?"

Danger alarms rang in my head. Liam had explained his own attention to detail, but I doubted this old geezer was a cop, too. Maybe military. I had to get him out of my face before he forced me to say something I shouldn't. "Just a little one stoplight town, farms mostly."

The man shifted forward. I could have sworn he grew. He seemed more imposing than he had a minute ago. "Why are you avoidin' the question?"

"Lakefield. Happy now?"

He made a low, growly noise. It took me a second to realize he'd laughed. "You're a real piece of work, lady. What the hell you doin' down here if you're from up there?"

Shit, he wasn't going to give up. "I want to see some of the country before there's nothing left to see." I stretched and forced a yawn. "Well, I'm off to bed." Gaze lowered, I tried to skirt around him, but he shifted to block me.