opened my heart to another man and fell in love. During the trial, I shared information with Victor’s people and they reciprocated. I found out Baxter had a child with one of his young lovers. He was getting ready to divorce me and marry her. I could go through an extended divorce, or I could see him put away for my murder.”
“And you chose the latter.”
Monica’s eyes narrowed, causing her eyebrows to flare like the wingspan of a predatory bird. “Victor said he’d take care of everything.” She turned to address him face-to-face: “You failed to mention I’d be beaten and murdered.”
Victor grimaced. “I…believed…you would…live, but…if not, then… Doctor…Childers…would…lose his…wife…
I said, “So one day you’re jogging at Amelia Island, and I kidnap you. Soon thereafter, you’re with your lover, savoring your sweet revenge.”
“Let’s keep the story straight,” she said. “You beat the shit out of me, injected me with a lethal poison, kicked me out of a moving truck, and left me to die.”
I glanced over and saw Dr. Nadine Crouch holding her head with both hands.
“Bygones?” I said.
Hugo offered his version: “You killed Monica, our people brought her back to life, she’s living on a plantation in Costa Rica, and Baxter’s serving twenty to life.”
“All’s…well that…ends well,” Victor said.
“You could have smuggled me out of the country,” Monica said. “You didn’t have to let him
“We’ve…been…through this…many…times,” Victor said.
“Right. You were testing your anti-serum on me, killing two birds with one stone.”
“But you’re happy now,” I said.
“Eat shit and die,” she said. “It took four surgeries to repair my ear. The pain was excruciating.”
“You keep dwelling on the bad parts,” I said. I looked at Victor. “Is she always like this?”
“In my…experience…she is.”
“Fuck you both!” she said.
Dr. Crouch said, “Monica, I want to thank you for coming today. Though you can’t imagine it, or care to, your presence here has been meaningful.”
“I only came so I could look this bastard in the face and tell him about Kathleen.”
“What about her?” I said.
Monica’s eyes grew ice cold. Her mouth curled into a smug smile. You could tell she’d rehearsed this scene many times. I think she planned to say more, but changed her mind at the last minute, realizing the faster you say it, the quicker it hurts. She’d come all the way from Costa Rica to get this out, so I waited as she paused to gather the proper venom in her voice. When she was ready, she lifted her chin defiantly, and spit two poisonous words at me: “Kathleen’s engaged.”
Chapter 47
Monica’s words sent my heart into freefall. I blinked, forcing my brain to accept what I’d heard. Nausea flooded through me in that terrible way you feel when you can’t quite vomit. You know you’ll feel better if you do, but your body won’t cooperate. I took a deep breath. I should have stayed in the coma. This was too much to deal with all at once. When I let the breath out it felt as though my life force went with it.
Nadine broke the silence: “How nice for you to take this opportunity to tell him that.”
“No man ever deserved it more,” Monica said. “I bet her fiance is fucking her right now, making her say his name.”
Hugo shook his head. Victor lowered his eyes in embarrassment. Monica kept the smug look on her face, and I thought, revenge agrees with her.
I wanted to scream, but I found myself smiling. I mean, you have to smile, right? During the past week I learned I’d lost three years of my life, lost my face, lost my name. And now, hearing I may have lost the love of my life, well, what else are you going to do?
