Page 64 of Deadly Peril

“Is it coming back to you now?” Ross narrowed his eyes. “I had a chance. The ban against me had expired and I could have been an Olympic contender. But no…you had to report me.”

“I didn’t…”

“Don’t deny it. If you’re calling me a liar, I’ll kill you this instant.”

Jana watched, terrorized by the look in his eyes.

“I’d been blowing off steam, that’s all. A guy had a right to. I worked hard, competed hard. But that night at the bar…well, it got a little out of hand.”

Then Jana remembered. What Ross called “out of hand” was a lot more than that. She’d feared that he could be dangerous. If only she’d known how right she’d been. “You’re after me for that?”

The incident had been so innocuous that she’d forgotten. Clearly, resentment had festered in Ross’s mind all these years. What had been insignificant to her had become monumental to him.

“You called the cops and ratted me out—stole my dream, ruined my life. I got picked up for drunk and disorderly. It got me kicked off the team…permanently.” Ross huffed. “You owe me…but you’ll pay. I’ll get what’s rightfully mine.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t think I knew?” Ross looked pleased with himself. “Your little device…”

“How did you…”

“Oh, Jana, please…give me some credit. I talk to people. I listen. Your little secret was out long ago. Even your ex-husband was crowing about how he was going to cash in.”

Jana stared in disbelief.

“I’m going to take your little device and sell it to the highest bidder.” Ross waved his hand. “I’ll finally get what I deserve.”

“Killing me won’t help you,” Jana said, desperate to get through to him. “My business partner will get everything, and he won’t sell to you.”

Ross chuckled. “I think he can be persuaded. His wife is worse off than you know. I have my sources…and I’ve been assured that he needs the money badly.”

Reasoning was hopeless. Jana marveled at how Ross’s mind worked. Had he been that way when she’d known him? Then she remembered why she’d made a point to have nothing to do with him. He’d been notoriously untrustworthy and a flake. But she’d had no idea that he was capable of murder.

Jana had to get the hell out of there. With Ross congratulating himself on his brilliant strategy, Jana focused on the task at hand. She didn’t have a gun, but she was in a shop filled with rental equipment. There were options.

Ross squared his shoulders, exuding confidence. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

Whatever Jana did, she had to be fast. With a gleam in his eyes, Ross lifted the syringe. He grabbed for her arm. As he lunged for her, Jana jerked back. She grabbed a boot from the rack, one with anti-slip cleats.

Jana whacked Ross in the face with the metal teeth. He dodged, so the impact was to his cheek instead of his eyes. But he was bleeding. “You fucking bitch!”

Ross lunged at her again, so Jana jumped up and kicked him in the gut, shoving him into the wall. Jana was familiar with the shop, so she reached for the best weapon she knew of. She hated to do it, considering that the ski pole was an antique.

But the old Norwegian pole had a sharp stainless-steel tip, unlike modern designs. She grabbed the wooden pole and lifted it high. Ross’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t…”

Jana used both hands and stabbed the tip at Ross’s neck. He shifted, but the spike still pierced him. Blood spewed, yet like the walking dead, he staggered forth. His eyes were wild, and he stuffed his hand into his pocket, reaching for the gun.

In a flash, a muscular arm wound around his chest and a pistol was lodged beneath his chin. “I wouldn’t if I were you,” Thaddeus said.

Ross didn’t move. Then Thaddeus yanked on the guy’s hair, tipping his head back so he could look into his eyes. “Don’t worry, asshole. I’m not going to kill you. It will be more satisfying if you live with your sorry self, for every goddam second of the life sentence I see in your future.”

Jana looked at Thaddeus then at Ross. The creep would live, as opposed to his hired killer out on the slopes. She’d stabbed his upper shoulder and cut deep. But it hadn’t been a fatal blow.

Thaddeus held tight to her attacker. Then he nodded toward his pocket, so Jana reached in for his phone. Trembling, she called the cops.

---