Page 100 of Fatal Vision
This one had Bells’ name on it.
Another in his pocket had Shelby’s.
The only thing he had to do now was get them both out of the hospital. McKenzie too, if possible.
Patience.
Refine, reorder, rework.
A new idea struck. Maybe killing Shelby would be enough. Bells still loved her. He’d run back to her not once, but twice. It was obvious he would do anything for her.
Killing Shelby would leave Bells on his own. Tortured. He’d die a long, slow, miserable death blaming himself.
True happiness made the man smile. He’d been going at this all wrong. Leaving Bells alive to wallow in his grief would be the finest form of revenge.
Justice for all.
The new plan forming readily in his mind, the man put his car in gear.
It was a waste of a good woman, but Shelby Claiborne had to die.
COLTON’S MIND WASsoup, a pleasant fog that caressed him, lifting him up and rolling him back down like an ocean wave.
Dreams floated with him. Snatches of memories. Desert sand, moonless nights. His marriage bed.
A sweet numbness engulfed his body, but the sting of pain hummed just under it.Don’t wake up, his dull mind insisted.Let the drugs do their work.
Drugs. Yeah. This was definitely not his normal alcohol-fueled, mindless, anesthetized state. But when had he resorted to drugs to escape?
His dragon laughed.
Forget…
For long moments he let the desensitized state have him. It was so peaceful. No one criticized him. No one looked at him like he was a loser. Like he was a pain-in-the-ass.
No mother to abandon him. No father to leave him at the orphanage.
No…
Shelby.
Through the fog, he heard rhythmic beeping, the ring of a phone.
Shelby’s voice.
“Yes, ma’am, it’s nice to finally speak to you. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help me with my case. Colton is out of surgery and Megadeth says he’ll be okay.” Long pause. “Yes, I know. He’s a fighter.”
Surgery. Megadeth.
Where was he? Why was Jaxon here?
A tumble of images hit his brain. Connor, the waiting room.
The cops.
Trust me…
His face hitting the floor.
