Page 19 of The Marriage Demand
“That’s because someone closeto them is a rat. Bozo finds out, makes an example of them.”
“And you didn’t think tocome and tell me?” he asked.
“Elias, I have a busyschedule, and if you check your cell phone, you will see a couple of calls. Ionly found out this past week.”
He didn’t need to pull outhis cell phone. Mansell had tried to call, but he figured he would see thedoctor when he needed to. Now, he was pissed off.
“Trust me, I have beentrying to reach you.”
“I’m going to kill him,”Elias said. “The moment he slips up.”
“He is coming for you,Elias, and you have never showed a weakness until now,” Mansell said.
He looked toward his wife,and he shook his head. “I am not going to use my wife.”
“You might not have achoice,” Mansell said. “You haven’t been able to stop him, and the only waymight be to lure him out by using her. He doesn’t know what you’re capable of,or that you wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but it will help you remove theproblem quickly, rather than waiting around. Do you think the person who triedto shoot you tonight did so without cause? I would put money down that Bozo isthe one who did it.”
Elias had no doubt aboutit as well.
“I’m not going to hurt heror put her life on the line.”
“Sometimes in life, wehave no choice but to do exactly that,” Mansell said.
He hated that Mansell wasright, but he also hated that he was tempted to do so. It was time to bringBozo in line.
ChapterEight
Winnie woke up in pain,and in thebedshe now shared with Elias. He hadstopped allowing her to be in a separate room. They were husband and wife in everysense of the word. She groaned and the bed dipped.
“You’re awake,” Eliassaid.
“And I’m home?”
“Yes, Mansell said I couldbring you home. You’ll be fine. He has prescribed you some pain medication, aswell as antibiotics as a precaution.”
She lifted her arm thathadn’t been shot, and pushed her hair out of her face. “I must look a mess.”
“You’re fine.” He heldsome water, along with the pills for her to take, which she did.
“The movies have it allwrong,” Winnie said. “Being shot is not easy.”
“You shouldn’t have stoodin their way,” Elias said.
“I wasn’t going to allowyou to get shot when I could take the bullet.” Last night was a little fuzzy.Especially after getting shot. She had a vague memory of Mansell, but otherthan that, nothing else made sense. “I just … reacted.”
“You did.”
“What happened to thatguy?”
“I took care of it.”
“Do you know why he wasshooting you?”
Elias looked away.
“Did you even bother toask?” she asked.
“Yes.”
