Page 82 of Brutal Ice

Royal grabbed him. Spun him around.

“Don’t shoot!” Curran shouted.

Micah swung at Royal. Missed with his punch. Royal headbutted Micah. He drove his head hard into Micah’s face. Micah howled.

Royal shoved the gun into his waistband. Then his fists went straight for Micah. But before he could hit?—

Curran hauled Royal back.

A whimpering Micah fell to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” Curran let him go, but he put his body between Royal and Micah.

“Subduing the suspect.” His breath heaved. “Put cuffs on him. Put a bullet in his head. Do what you have to do. But do not let him go. He’s a killer.”

“Royal!” Violet’s desperate voice. The corn stalks crunched. She burst through them.

A light hit her. Curran had hauled out a flashlight, and the beam shone straight onto Violet—perfectly illuminating her figure and the blood that soaked her.

For a moment, Royal could not breathe.

She was hurt. I left her. Thought she was secure. She’s covered in blood.

“Help me!” Violet cried again. “I-I can’t get her out of the trunk. I can’t stop the blood. Simone is dying.” She grabbed Royal’s hand. “I called nine-one-one. But, please, help me!”

Always.

He rushed with her back to the old service station. Back through the small entrance in the rear. Back to the garage and to the body that was waiting in the trunk.

His breath hissed out.

Violet had propped her phone inside the trunk. The light illuminated Simone.

“I couldn’t leave her in the dark. That’s why I left the light with her. She can’t be alone in the dark.” Violet pressed her bloody fingers to Simone’s chest. “I called nine-one-one,” she said again. “Help is coming, but she needs us now!”

He didn’t think any help would save her. The woman looked dead. So much blood. “Violet,” he began.

“She’s alive!” Violet shouted. “I felt her pulse! Help us!”

His hand went to Simone’s throat. He didn’t feel a pulse, but he leaned closer. He?—

“M-Micah…” Simone whispered.

Shit. She was alive.

He pushed his hands against some of her biggest wounds.

Royal didn’t know how the press found out about the attack, but they rushed to the scene. Hell, maybe they’d just been listening to the police scanners. Wasn’t that how they usually knew when drama and death went down? The reporters flew up right behind the ambulances and the cop cars that came spilling to the old service station.

He knew cameras were rolling. Knew plenty of pictures were being taken.

Simone hadn’t spoken again, not after that one word. He was pretty sure she hadn’t breathed after that one word, either. At least, not on her own.

Curran had cuffed and secured Micah, and then the detective had come to help them. They’d performed CPR. They’d tried to stop the terrible bleeding. But blood had literally soaked the trunk beneath Simone.

Too many slashes.

When the EMTs arrived, they immediately took over CPR and rushed Simone away on a gurney. They loaded her into the back of their ambulance, and the sirens screamed when the vehicle raced away.

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