Page 43 of Shadow Touched

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll figure it out.”

Desperation clawed at her. “No, you won’t. Iwon’t let you die.”

He stood up. “And I won’t risk yourlife anymore. It’s no longer your decision.”

She reached for him in a pleading gesture.“I love you.”

His eyes widened, and for a moment, shethought he was about to take her hand. But something hardened inhis gaze, and he turned away. Panic filled her. He may not returnher feelings, but it didn’t matter. He was going to die, and shecouldn’t allow that to happen.

“Please, Brim. Don’t do this.”

He hesitated at the door and glanced overhis shoulder at her. She saw his resolution before he spoke.

“I’ll have one of the men drive you backhome when you’re discharged in the morning,” he said. “You’ll bepaid like we agreed. Good-bye, Leia.”

Then he was gone. As quickly as he had firstappeared.

She lay there for a long time, trying topush the pain down. Trying to think straight. She would happily lethim go if only he would live, and to do that she had to figure outwho was trying to assassinate him. She tried to remember anythingabout the car intent on hitting him. As she concentrated, a memoryflashed by of blonde hair, and it suddenly dawned on her that thewoman from Wal-Mart was the same woman in Martha’s picture. Cindy,Brim’s ex-wife. She was the only person who desperately wished tokill him, and the hatred Leia had seen emanating from the woman wasundeniable. Besides, something told Leia that was who she wasfighting.

She didn’t have much time. Brim was going tosend her home in the morning. If she was going to save him, she hadto do it soon. But how? To save Brim she had to eliminate thethreat. A plan began to form. Time to check herself out of thehospital as well as call in her favor from Kix.

****

The Uber dropped her off in the neighboringtown and once it had disappeared, she started walking. Thanks toMac, Kix had provided her with Cindy’s address and had even senther pictures of the woman behind the wheel of the car that had hither. Now she was positive. Now she knew what she had to do. IfCindy disappeared, so did the threat on Brim’s life.

Although the concussion made her feel alittle dizzy, she continued on. A little over half an hour later,she turned on the country road where Cindy’s house was located.Taking a deep breath, she fixed her shirt over her jeans, gatheringher courage with each step. It didn’t matter if Brim didn’t loveher. It didn’t matter if he sent her away. She would take comfortin the fact that he was alive somewhere in the world, and she wouldlive on her dreams of their time together.

Knocking on the door, she waited. It was thedead of night, so she knocked again, a little heavier. Suddenly,the porch light came on and the door opened. Leia came face to facewith Cindy. The woman was dressed in a robe. Make-up bled under hereyes and her hair was flattened on one side. Deep grooves linedaround her mouth, giving her smoker’s lips.

“Let me in,” Leia said. “We have totalk.”

Cindy assessed her by looking her up anddown. A sneer wrinkled her nose as she stood back, and Leia enteredthe serpent’s den. The house was dirty. Clutter was everywhere.Something rotten lingered in the air. Leia wanted to be anywherebut there, yet she didn’t have a choice. The path she was onwouldn’t let her stop.

“What do you want?” Cindy asked, folding herarms across her chest.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Leia asked instead,not bothering to answer her question. “You sent Knuckles to killBrim. You tried to run him over.”

Cindy stared at her for a moment. “You’re aclever girl, aren’t you? Figuring it out all by yourself.”

“Why?”

“Because he killed our son.”

Leia shook her head. “Nate died in themilitary-”

“He wouldn’t have been there if Brim hadn’tpushed him!” Cindy stared pacing. “Nate would’ve stayed home. Hewould’ve been safe. He would be alive today if Brim hadn’t told himto join the army! It’s all his fault!”

“I can’t imagine your loss,” Leia saidsoftly. “I know it must be unbearable.”

Cindy rounded on her. “You know nothing!Have you ever lost a child? I didn’t think so. Brim gets to walkaway. He gets to sleep at night. He gets to stay in his club andcontinue living. But I can’t. I have nothing! No child. No club.And soon, neither will he.”

“You’re wrong if you think he isn’tsuffering. The man went nomad. He was hurting so much he walkedaway from the only life he knew.”

“But he still walked. Maybe I’ll kill you sohe won’t have anyone.”

“Killing me won’t solve anything. He doesn’tlove me. I’m here only to help him find you.”

“Then where is he?” Cindy held open herarms. “Here I am. You found me. Run on back and tell him that I wasthe one to seduce Knuckles. Tell him I made Knuckles fall in lovewith me so I could convince him killing Brim was the only way wecould be together. Tell him I broke the lock on the back gate tosneak into the club, to give Knuckles the map to his cabin.”

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