“The prison’s medical ward. The warden said the doctor on staff took Howard under his wing. Was mentoring him.”
My back teeth ground together. “Or Howard was mentoring the doctor. Manipulating him into finding him a way out.”
Hayes ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the strands. “That’s what I’m guessing, too. Howard supposedly died from a seizure, but he never made it to the hospital. If a doctor was helping you, you could fake that.”
“Holy hell. This is unreal,” Ruiz muttered. “I’m going to pick up the doc myself.”
“I’ll go with you—”
“You can’t, Hayes. Do you want to be the reason something gets thrown out as evidence? You have a conflict of interest. Let me handle this.”
Hayes gritted his teeth. “Call me as soon as you question him.”
“You know I will.” Ruiz clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll find her.”
I had to hold on to that. Hope. I’d given up on it years ago, but Shiloh had given it back to me. She’d shown me the light that hid within the shadows. Showed me that I could be more than I ever thought possible. And I would fight for her. Hell, I’d burn down the world to get her back. No one could stop me.
43
SHILOH
I couldn’t getmy body to stop trembling. If anything, the shaking only intensified. I tried to get the image in front of me to compute, the face that had been burned into my nightmares. The one that was supposed to be buried six feet under.
“H-how?”
My voice carried the same reverberation that shot through my body in waves. I hated the sound. The proof that this man could still terrorize me.
August grinned. “Howard has a real way with people. He can convince them he’s whatever he wants them to believe he is.”
I didn’t look at Howard’s cellmate as he spoke, even with the crazy claims he was spouting. I couldn’t take my eyes off Howard. It was too dangerous—as if he were a pacing predator, and I was bracing for an attack.Ask another question.I needed to keep them talking and get as much information as possible. Had to keep them at a distance.
“Who did he convince?”
Howard chuckled, but the sound didn’t match up with the man or the circumstances. It was jovial, like a Santa Claus laugh. “The doctor in the medical ward really was going through a hard time.”
August joined in his laughter. “Ol’ Doc Adams was at the end of his rope with his wife leaving him and taking the kids.”
“Ripe to believe in evil women who can ruin your life.” Howard’s eyes narrowed in my direction. “And I know all about that. I was a comfort and a listening ear. I’d felt the level of betrayal that comes with trying to help someone and having them turn on you.”
Help.My stomach roiled. He truly believed that, and nothing anyone said could convince him otherwise. And my challenging it would only bring pain.
“You faked your death.”
August clapped his hands, rubbing them together. “It really was brilliant. Doc helps fake the seizure. One bribe of a mortuary employee later, and you’ve got yourself an escape.”
“I had to be in that damn body bag for hours, though.” Anger lit across Howard’s features as his head swiveled in my direction. “That’s on you, too. You’ll pay for everything you’ve put me through. But by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be the perfect wife for my son—minding your place, appreciating all we’ve done for you.”
August’s mouth twisted into a feral smile. “I’ll be helping with that training, too. And we’re gonna get started real soon.”
A wave of dizziness swept over me, nausea intensifying with it. “I don’t feel very well. I think the drugs you gave me messed with my system.”
August snorted. “Don’t try your manipulations on us.”
Howard took a step forward, his eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. “You trying to twist us into pitying you? Attempting to use your weak, womanly status to make us feel bad for you?”
I didn’t retreat, no matter how much I wanted to. I forced myself to stand firm. The rage pumping through me at his words helped. The last thing I would ever be was weak. But the onlychance I had now was to outthink these two. To find an opening and run like hell. I’d have to wait until one of them left. I had no hope of getting free when it was two on one.
“I’m just telling you the truth. I’m shaky and dizzy.”