Texas Showdown. Barb Han

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СКАЧАТЬ Four

      Austin was hiding the truth from Maria. Her memories might be patchy but she knew him well enough to know that he’d been tap-dancing around something since the first day they’d come home from the hospital. He’d looked around the loft as though he’d never seen it before, which struck her as odd. Adding to her confusion, he’d insisted on checking out the bathroom before giving her access. He’d seemed so relieved when he turned from the doorjamb and told her it was clear. Clear from what?

      Then, there were the sleeping arrangements. He’d said that he slept like a tornado and didn’t want to risk rolling over onto her in the night. So, he’d taken the couch since they’d arrived, which was three nights ago.

      Fast-forward to today. Austin was out picking up dinner and Maria was grateful that he’d left. He was probably just worried about her but he kept watch over her like she was a China doll about to tip off the top shelf and shatter. He was just worried about her, she reasoned. That had to be the reason that he hadn’t made an attempt to touch her...right?

      Because she remembered that the heat between the two of them could’ve melted a glacier and now all she got was a cold shoulder.

      Maria leaned her head against the rolled-up hand towel as she stretched out her sore legs. The bathwater was the perfect temperature and the jets pulsed at just the right speed to untangle her tense muscles. Another twenty minutes of this and she’d be good to go.

      Maria glanced at the clock. Austin should be back soon. She’d spent an extra ten minutes soaking and was starting to feel human again thanks to the pair of ibuprofen she’d swallowed before getting in the water. She turned off the jets and then opened the drain.

      The tile floor was cold on her bare feet and a chill raced through her. Her clothes were in a pile on the floor in front of the sink. She had to step over them to reach her towel. As she lifted her right foot, she heard a sizzling sound. It was like droplets of water on a hot griddle.

      Her gaze flew to the spot where an accompanying hissing sound vibrated. Her T-shirt moved and that couldn’t be a good sign. Something was underneath there. The bathroom walls seemed to shrink as the sizzling sound grew louder. She withdrew her foot and hopped back into the tub immediately. She slipped, almost bit it, and had to regain her balance by grabbing hold of the sides of the tub.

      She froze as a diamond-shaped head with a pair of beady eyes and a forked tongue peeked out from underneath her T-shirt. The second it made eye contact her pulse raced and the sizzling noise vibrated. One strike could cover the distance between them, and she’d be dead before Austin could bring her fish tacos back from her favorite restaurant, Pescado.

      Maria had never been terrified of anyone, not even the boogeyman when she was a little girl. But she was deathly afraid of snakes.

      Her body ached from crouching low. It was the same defensive maneuver she would use in any threatening scenario, put as much mass between her and the enemy as possible. If that double-eyed monster made a move, at least the bathtub was between them save for half of her head.

      Her tired legs might give out and she didn’t dare move an inch or risk agitating the creature. This was the perfect time to remember that her gun was in the other room, she thought as she rolled her eyes. Even if she had her weapon she couldn’t just randomly shoot in the middle of her building. A stray bullet could kill an innocent person and she wouldn’t want to risk it.

      Unfortunately, her cell was in the other room, too. She hadn’t thought to bring it with her into the bathroom. Then again, she hadn’t expected to need it.

      Maria cursed under her breath, praying that Austin would make it home before the deadly snake launched toward her. As it was she could hear her own heartbeat pounding inside her ears.

      At least for now the sizzling noises had quieted. No way did she plan to take her eyes off that thing or relax. She remembered reading somewhere that most snakes could strike at least two-thirds of their body length, depending on the type and size. Most of this one’s body was hidden, so she had no idea how long it was. She had no plans to find out or test the theory, either.

      Noise came from the other room...and the T-shirt moved.

      * * *

      AUSTIN SET THE BAG of take-out fish tacos on the kitchen island when he heard a noise, a strangled cry, from the bathroom.

      His pulse kicked up and he ate up the real estate between him and the sound in a couple of strides. As he placed his hand on the knob, Maria said, “Don’t come in.”

      He started to tap on the door with a knuckled fist instead.

      “Don’t make a sound, Austin,” Maria pleaded.

      Didn’t that get all his warning bells flaring. He pressed an ear to the door to see if he could figure out what the hell was going on. At first, he didn’t pick up anything.

      And then he heard something...a sizzling noise.

      Austin dropped to the floor effortlessly, without making a sound. His white Stetson landed with a soft thud on the floor next to him and he bit back a curse. All he could see clearly was a pile of clothes in front of the sink. The tub was to the left and out of range at this vantage point.

      And then he saw something—a snake. From the back, he could see that the head was small but marked with a prominent dark brown arrow-shape. Austin knew exactly what kind of snake he was dealing with, a saw-scaled viper. Dangerous. Aggressive. Deadly. Known for its lightning-fast strike and powerful venom. The viper was moving backward, away from the threat, and his brown body was partially covered underneath Maria’s T-shirt.

      The sizzling noise made sense. This kind of viper rubbed its scales together to create a warning sound. Austin needed to distract attention away from Maria without getting himself bit. Thinking about how snakes had been her only hesitation at moving to the ranch when they’d first married, he didn’t need her panicking. Not much could rattle Maria. Snakes were her wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-in-a-cold-sweat fear.

      If he spoke, the snake would immediately redirect toward him, but aggravating it could prove deadly for Maria since she was trapped in the bathroom with it. He pushed up, moved away from the door and sat. What could he use to trap it?

      Austin moved around the loft, searching for something—anything, making as little noise as humanly possible. He muttered a curse under his breath when he didn’t see a thing he could use. He was losing precious time. One wrong move and Maria could end up fighting for her life. Anger roared through him.

      In the corner of the bedroom area, he spotted something that might work. He picked up the wicker weave laundry basket with burlap lining and then tested its strength. This should hold.

      Heart in this throat, he moved to the bathroom door. Dropping onto all fours, he pressed his head to the floor. The snake was almost up against the adjacent wall. He gripped the rim of the basket tighter, turning it upside down.

      Here went nothing...

      In one motion, he opened the door as the snake launched. It struck the door and recoiled. Austin held steady for a three-count, stepped inside, and then closed the door.

      The viper struck again and hit the inside rim of the basket.

      Austin trapped the angry reptile inside the walls of the woven basket by pressing the rim against the floor. He held it down, his heart thumping СКАЧАТЬ