Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Nope. I care about betrayal.”
Even though it was dark, there was enough moonlight to see a perfectly cut hole in the ice. A set of crampons had been discarded next to its symmetrical edges. “I knew you killed those women.”
“You were right. But don’t think you’re so smart.” Zeke crouched, fury flushing his cheeks a dark red. “I guess we’re having our own King Lear moment here, my bitch daughter.”
She coughed and searched for a weapon. Those crampons were close. If she could get her hands on them, she might be able to injure him enough to get away. She couldn’t think about Huck or the baby right now. She had to focus on survival.
“King Lear?” she mocked. “His actions led to the death of his daughter, but he didn’t do it himself. And you’re no king.” She tried to inch closer to those sharp edges.
He slapped her and she fell back. “All right, then. I guess it’s a Titus Andronicus tribute.”
She nodded. “He did kill his daughter, Lavinia, but he did it out of love.”
“I’m acting out of love.” Zeke looked toward the river. “For my life, anyway.”
She balanced herself on her tailbone and drew her legs in, searching for the right opening.
He laughed. “I hit you so hard, you’ll see stars for days. Don’t even think of fighting me. Though I have to admit, I am ready for a good fight. It has been too easy to subdue these weak women.”
Laurel coughed, her ears ringing. “All blondes. Do you hate my mother that much?”
He lost the smile. “That bitch. She kept you from me! She deserves to die horribly with her head beneath the ice.” His shoulders shook as if with great rage. “Plus, once my church goes national, I can’t have her coming out of the woodwork and accusing me of a crime I didn’t commit.”
“Yes, you did, and you know it.” Where were the crampons? She forced her eyes to focus and adjust to the darkness. If she could just keep him talking a little while longer and not think about Huck. How injured was the captain? “The other victims just provided you with a cover?” How evil. She’d questioned its existence before, but now she knew with certainty. Evil existed. All on its own, and it faced her right now.
“Yes.”
She gagged. “You killed those women just so you could murder my mother and not be an obvious suspect?”
He lifted his head, hatred glittering in his eyes. “Yes. I want her lungs to freeze as she screams. How dare she keep you from me? From me!” he screamed.
Bile rose in Laurel’s throat. He was insane. “Why did you take Huck’s mother as one of your victims?”
“Why not? I needed to rid myself of that captain, so two birds, one stone.”
She ruthlessly swallowed, trying to regain feeling in her arms. He’d just wanted to kill Deidre. Her poor mother. “How did you find Huck’s mom?”
“Easily,” Zeke said, apparently enjoying the bragging, as most narcissists would. “A private detective out of Texas. It really wasn’t that hard. If the captain had wanted to find her, it would’ve been easy.”
“What about her hair?” Laurel asked. If she hit him right in the ankle he’d go down sideways. She could scramble for the crampons and then slash his face.
Zeke winked. “She voluntarily came with me. I told her that Huck had cancer, was dying, wasn’t telling anybody, and his dying wish was to see his mother. I suggested she dye her hair back to blond because that was how he remembered her.”
She had to keep him bragging until she could grasp the weapons. “You had her fly here and then killed her by Snowblood Peak?”
“Yep,” he said cheerfully. “Abbott’s escape was a bonus. I was already planning to kill a few blondes to throw suspicion on someone else before I made my real kill. As a true sniveling twit, Haylee Johnson needed to be put down anyway. All I did was knock on her back door, and she opened it. Can you believe it? I knocked her out, and it was that easy to take her. Then, of course, Rachel Raprenzi. Wow, that smart girl got away.”
Laurel bunched her body. “You let her escape.”
“Of course. She had that stupid dog fur from the blanket I stole all over her. The woman thought she was so smart. I could have murdered her in a second. Not that I won’t. Well”—he looked sadly back toward the cabin—“I guess I won’t because this is over. Unless they let the captain stay out of prison for a while, but after they find him and your body, he’s probably going away.”
“So you’re willing to kill me? Your own blood.”
He paused. “I have to kill you. It’s not like you won’t turn me in. You’re smart. Too smart. I knew you’d figure it out. Take that as a compliment.”