Page 106 of Hero's Prize

“You know about those?”

Tony began pacing back and forth. “I knoweverythingabout Colton. I researched him for over a year before I ever started working for him. That little scrapbook of yours is nothing compared to the information I collected about him.”

Sweat broke out on Ella’s forehead. This went way beyond merely being a good employee. Tony was obsessed with Colton.

“I don’t understand what you want.”

She flinched as Tony waved the gun around. “I want him to focus. What I said at that store was true. He could be so much more famous than he is now. Like, household-name famous. If he would justfocus.”

He stopped waving the gun around, but it was so much worse because he came and crouched right next to where she sat at the heated pool.

“You unfocus him.” His voice was calm, friendly even. But his eyes were cold and hard.

“I don’t mean to unfocus him.” She couldn’t stop the tremor in her voice.

She flinched as he stroked the back of her hair. “I know. That’s the hardest thing. I believe you legitimately care about him. But you’re still too much of a distraction.”

He stood back up. “I recognized you as a problem a long time ago. I tried to keep him from you, even after the avalanche, by making it so you couldn’t get in at the hospital.” He began pacing, lost in his words, almost not even paying attention to her. “The last thing he needed was a little Florence Nightingale helping him heal. That sort of coddling doesn’t encourage growth.”

Ella’s phone buzzed underneath her hand where it rested next to her on the rock ledge. She glanced over and saw another text from Colton.

I know you’re at the cabin in Fairytale. I’m coming to you, Butterscotch. I’m almost there. You have every right to be mad, but I hope you’ll at least hear me out.

Oh no. Colton was coming here. He had no idea about Tony—and especially not about Tony’s gun. She had to find some way to warn him.

“But then he ended up in Oak Creek anyway,” Tony continued. “When I couldn’t keep him away from you, I tried to make you irrelevant. An enemy, even.”

She had to think of something. She pulled her legs out of the water so that she could move quickly if an opportunity presented itself. While Tony was turned partially away in his pacing, she pressed the text message on her phone so she could respond.

No

It was all she could get out without Tony noticing. Colton would probably think she was mad, but as long as it kept him from walking in on this nightmare, she would take it.

“I couldn’t keep him away from you and I couldn’t make you irrelevant, so now I’m having to resort to much uglier measures. I have to get rid of you. Rick too, unfortunately. He’s collateral damage. It’s a shame because he sees the bigger picture. Sees what Colton could truly be.”

“What do you mean,get rid of?”

He stopped his pacing and nodded solemnly. “I think you know exactly what I mean by that, Ella.”

“Tony, this is insane. You’re talking about killing two people.” She didn’t know how Rick fit into this, but she didn’t want him to die either. “There’s no need to do any of this. Let’s just sit down and talk to Colton about your plans. I can help make him understand.”

Her phone buzzed again under her hand, but she didn’t darelook at it. If Tony got a hold of it, he would know Colton was coming.

“Talking is a waste of time. What I’m going to do is make Colton one of the greatest athletes ever. I will create an empire for him. Something people will talk about for generations.”

Tony was crazy. She had no idea how he’d fooled them all, but he was completely obsessed and unstable.

“Colton will be sad when you die, of course. And all those social media assholes will change their tune and say how much they loved you and how they regret that they were so mean. They’ll be sad that they drove you to suicide. I was thinking I would do it with the gun, but now, I’m thinking drowning in that hot spring will work even better. Maybe an accident, maybe suicide—adds to the mystery.”

She scooted back from the water. “You don’t have to do this, Tony.”

“His ratings will go through the roof. The avalanche proved that—people love a tragedy.” He was so lost in his own thoughts, she wasn’t even sure he was registering what she was saying at all.

But one thing was clear: Tony felt completely righteous in whatever he was about to do here. That did not bode well for Ella. She had no idea what to do.

The phone rang in her hand. That shocked Tony back to reality, and he lifted his gun and pointed it right at her.

“Don’t answer.”

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