Sister Death (Acid Vanilla Series Book 4), Matthew Hattersley [best book club books for discussion .TXT] 📗

of the old butcher’s shop, unsure what he was going to find and not daring to even breathe.

“Danny,” Acid murmured now, watching him through heavy-lidded eyes as he got to his feet. “You were here… this whole time?”

“Sort of,” he replied, rooting through the array of sharp instruments on the table, hoping to find a key for her restraints. “I’ve been waiting outside in the corridor there, biding my time, so to speak.” He located a small silver key and hurried over to release her.

“Danny…” she gasped.

“It’s all right, I’m here.” He unfastened the cuff around her right wrist and lowered her arm limply to her side. She was a real mess. Blood poured from the open wounds. “I’m sorry I didn’t jump in sooner. I had to wait until I saw an opening, then I went for it.”

Acid’s head rolled back as he unlocked the other cuff. She was fighting to stay conscious. “But… she’s…”

Danny had the key in the lock ready to turn it when he heard the sound of scraping metal behind. He spun around just in time to grab the mad nun’s wrist as she brought a scalpel down inches from his face.

“Imbécil,” she screeched, her rancid breath hot on his cheek. “Te mataré.”

She lunged forward and smashed the heel of her hand into his nose.

“Feck!”

The punch blurred his vision but the angle meant she hadn’t put much force behind it. He was still in the game. Twisting her wrist to the side, he made her drop the scalpel before he stepped forward and a driving headbutt found its mark on the bridge of her nose.

“Mother of….” he yelled out, the impact sending them both staggering backwards.

He shook the pain away as Magpie grabbed a large serrated knife from the metal table and swung it towards him. He managed to jump to the side, parrying and dodging the blade as it whistled close to his face.

“Te mataré,” she screamed. “Te mataré, te mataré. I will kill you like I killed that tight-lipped old fool.”

She sprang forward and Danny leapt back, his heart in his throat. “What ya talking about?”

Knife poised in her hand, a wry smirk pulled the crazy woman’s lips to one side, sending a shiver down his spine. It was the same look he’d seen on her earlier outside the apartment. Pure evil.

“She died because of you, Danny.” She lunged forward with the blade, slicing it down his forearm, enough to break the skin.

“Who? Who died?” he said louder. And when she laughed, he shouted, “Who, ya fecking bitch?”

Her eyes shone. She jabbed with the knife, taunting him. “Such a shame that she put so much faith in you. That she couldn’t see you for what you really are.” Her lip curled in disgust. “She protected you to the end, la estúpida mujer.”

Danny’s legs weakened, he dropped back against the wall. “Camila…”

“What a waste of a life, protecting someone like you. In her naivety, she would say nothing that might harm you. You, un bastardo sin valor.” She spat at his feet. But he did nothing. Only tried to comprehend what she was saying and if he could believe her. If he could believe anyone would be that cruel. “She said even less when I cut out her tongue. And slit her throat—”

Danny barged into her, slamming a sharp elbow into her neck. Not giving her a second to recover, he administered a heavy right hook, connecting with her nose and sending blood and snot splattering up the wall. Magpie staggered against the wall and dropped to one knee, like a fallen boxer defying the count. A glance over at Acid. She was still drifting in and out of consciousness but he could tell she was fighting it. He moved over to her and began working desperately on the last wrist cuff as the crazed nun reeled onto her feet.

“Kill her,” Acid wheezed. “Leave me. Just… do it.”

But he couldn’t leave her.

He wouldn’t.

Still struggling with the cuff he dragged Acid to one side, away from the large knife flying their way. It was no good, his fingers were sticky with blood and his hands too shaky to even get the key in the lock. Acid opened her eyes and snarled his name. A second later he felt a heavy pain across his shoulders, like someone had hit him with a brick.

“Shite.”

Reaching back he felt something hard and metallic lodged into his trapezium muscle. Without a second thought he yanked out the weapon (a blade about six inches long, like an evil serrated machete) and flung it defiantly at the mad nun. The knife clattered to the floor a few feet from her as she made for the door.

No. Not a chance. This ends now.

With legs like jelly, but full of more piss and vinegar than he’d ever experienced, Danny pounced on the vile assassin. He got his arms around her waist, throwing his full weight against her as they sprawled into the metal table sending the contents spilling noisily over the concrete floor. They landed with Danny on his back, Magpie on top of him. He tightened his hold on her but a swift elbow to the face followed by sharp nails in the open wound on his arm released his grip. As she scrambled to her feet his fingers found the wooden handle of a small blade and he grabbed it up, slashing wildly but only managing to slice through the material folds of her nun’s costume. With a guttural war cry she stamped backwards, landing a heavy foot on the side of his jaw that left him dazed and reeling.

“Danny,” a voice cried through the red haze. “Look out.”

Punch-drunk and bleary-eyed, he couldn’t even get to his knees before another stamping kick sent him tumbling over himself.

“She’s getting away. Danny!”

He opened his eyes as wide as they’d go in an attempt to stop the room from spinning, seeing Acid grabbing the nun’s robes with her one good hand but unable to hold