Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“That’s…I don’t know,” I admitted when I looked at the little black mechanical looking thing that was sticking out of the bag partially. “That looks weird. Why is it even here in the first place?”
“Open it and find out,” she suggested.
When autopsies were done, their internal organs were placed into a bag and returned to their abdomens once they were done. Meaning seeing bags wasn’t a new thing for me.
I shook my head. “I normally just dispose of them. If I open these, it means that I have to smell them.”
Turner walked over to the bag and started to work the device-like thing out of the bag, stopping when it finally popped free.
“It looks like a pen,” she said.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She pulled it apart and blinked when the cap separated from the shaft of the pen, revealing a flash drive.
“Shit,” she said, looking at it. “You know we have to look at this, right?”
I shook my head. “We’re not putting that in my computer. Not only is it gross, but I’m not sure why it’s in there in the first place. It’s not happening on any computer of mine.”
“Isn’t that computer chick upstairs working?” she asked.
I shrugged. “She was earlier. I don’t know if she’s still there.”
She tucked the pen into her lab coat. “I have a few more curls to do on this dead chick, and I’ll go up there and see if she can help me.”
I went back to work and didn’t notice when she left.
In fact, I was so entranced with my work that it took me a second to realize that someone was once again in the room with me.
“What?” I asked without turning around.
“It’s nice that they finally left you alone.”
I felt everything inside of me start to seize with fear.
That voice.
Where had I heard that voice before?
God.
I turned around slowly, not recognizing the man that was standing there.
My hand closed around the phone at my tableside, and uncaring of the body fluids and other gunk on my hand, I wrapped it around the device and pulled it into my side.
He smiled. “I have a jammer on, anyway. No signal will leave this room as long as I’m within twenty feet of you. You may have your phone.”
I felt sick to my stomach.
God.
That voice.
Why was his voice so scary to me?
He wasn’t tall. Not short. Not anything.
Just basic.
Nothing scary about him at all, really. Just that goddamn voice.
“It’s good to finally see you again,” he said gently.
I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you are.”
He grinned. “You don’t remember me because you were in a lot of pain the day that we first met.”
And then it hit me.
The day that I was released from the hospital.
He’d been the one to give me the news that I would never again bear children.
He’d been the doctor that had saved my life.
He’d been there when everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong.
What. The. Hell.
“H-how did you get in?” I asked, licking my lips.
“A body bag.” He grinned widely. “Funny how y’all don’t check that stuff when they’re delivered. Though, saying that, I nearly died on the way in here because you employ dumbasses who don’t know how to drive.”
He was right.
I really should.
And I would.
From now fucking on.
I fisted my hand on the only thing that could possibly help defend me—a scalpel—and prepared to defend my life.
Because I had a feeling I was going to need to kick some ass.
“What are you doing with that?” He smiled, looking at the metal object in my hand.
I squeezed it even tighter.
“You need to leave,” I ordered, trying to sound authoritative.
He laughed.
“You’re so funny.” He grinned. “You actually think that after all the work I had to put into this that I’m just going to leave? Do you know how long I was in that body bag for?” he asked. “And look what happened to my elbow when they dropped me off that gurney.”
When he looked down, I struck.
Taking a quick swipe with my outstretched arm, I sliced him across the face.
Or tried to.
His arm came up seconds before I made contact, and all I was able to do was cut him from elbow to hand.
Luckily it was on the inside of his wrist. If I was lucky, he’d bleed out.
“You…son of a bitch, that hurts!” he cried out, looking at his arm in horror.
I should’ve stabbed him in the heart.
That would’ve been better, wouldn’t it have?
I wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t have blocked it, though.
“You really turn me on, you know that?”
That’s when I really started fighting in earnest.
There was no way in hell I was going down without a fight.
Chapter 22
I’d wish you the best, but you’ve already had it.
-Jubilee to Zee’s ex-wife.
Zee
I looked at the sheriff and shook my head. “I have to go. There’s something wrong. Something that I’m missing.”