Chapter One
Maxwell
You thought you could kill my sister and get away with it?
River’s words sucked the air out of the room like a twister about to destroy everything in its path. His words made no sense at first, but then slowly, his meaning sank in. My entire career, I’d only lost one patient on the operating table, and that person had been Lucinda Pratt.
Lucinda Pratt had been River’ssister?
I blinked at him, bewildered, searching for any sign this was a sick joke. But he wasn’t laughing. In fact, his eyes were dripping with malice as he stood over me menacingly.
“What did you say?” I whispered, fighting against the drug that was rapidly stealing my ability to stay conscious.
“You heard me.” River’s face was flushed, and he wasn’t bothering to hide his hatred now. “You murdered my little sister, and then you ran away like a coward.”
I shook my head. “No. It was… n… not… my… fault.”
“Liar,” he hissed.
“It wasn’t.” I shook my head, which was a horrible mistake because that only made the room tip and spin even more. I gripped the table, feeling nauseous.
“You’re going to give me answers, Maxwell. At long last, you’ll pay the piper for your negligence.”
Licking my dry lips, I rasped, “I was cleared. You know that’s true.”
He curled his lip. “Oh, please. You were given a pass by a bunch of strangers impressed with your pedigree. We both know you screwed up that day. We both know you killed my sister. You took her sweet, young life and then just moved on as if you’d done nothing more than spill a cup of coffee.”
“I didn’t. I… I didn’t,” I groaned, trying to stand. It didn’t go well, and River had to catch me, or I’d have fallen face-first on the floor. He seemed to hate me so much I wasn’t sure why he bothered. Perhaps it was simply instinct that made him reach out to break my fall. Whatever his reason, he grabbed me in time.
“You’ve dodged the truth long enough,” he panted, his breath warm against my cheek. “You’re going to tell me everything that happened that day, or you’ll pay a horrible price.”
“It was just a normal day,” I mumbled, concerned that my heart was racing so fast I might be on the verge of cardiac arrest. God only knew what he’d given me. I was drenched in sweat and borderline nauseous.
“A normal day?” River repeated angrily. “You murdered my sister, but it was just another day to you?”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” In truth, Lucinda’s death had sent me into a personal and professional spiral. Her passing had changed my life forever. I’d failed Lucinda. Despite my undeniable skill, I’d been unable to save her. Her life had ebbed away before my very eyes as I’d struggled desperately to stop the bleeding. My devastating failure had echoed in thesilent room as Lucinda bled to death. It was the most horrible moment of my life, and I’d never get past it.
Naturally, River wasn’t concerned with how gut-wrenching Lucinda’s death had been for me. He’d lost his sister, and while I didn’t have any siblings, I knew his loss was far greater than mine. He needed someone to blame, and I was the easiest target. Logically, I understood his reasoning and even his desire for revenge.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I tried again.
“Maybe you should be more tactful,” he hissed. “I realize that isn’t your strong suit, but I’m looking for a reason to hurt you, Maxwell. Don’t make it too easy.”
He slipped his arm around my waist and tugged me down a hallway off the living room. I stumbled a lot because of the drugs he’d fed me, which seemed to irritate him. I wanted to fight him, but it was all I could do to stay upright. We reached a doorway that seemed to lead to the garage. He yanked it open and dragged me over the threshold into the dark space.
The scent of motor oil and fertilizer reaffirmed we were in the garage. When he began to drag me toward a car parked a few feet away, panic rolled through me. If he managed to get me to a second location, Royce might never find me. With that thought in mind, I reached back and grabbed hold of the doorjamb. The door bumped painfully on my fingers, but I held on for dear life.
He grunted as our forward momentum was halted. “What the hell, Maxwell?” He tried to pry my fingers from the wood. “Let go.”
“Where are you taking me?” I mumbled.
He hissed, “Let go of the doorjamb,now.”
“No.” I shook my head stubbornly. “Please stop, River. This is madness.”
“Final warning. Let go of the doorjamb, Maxwell,” he rumbled, pushing the door open and preparing to slam it shut. “Unless you want to lose your fingers.”
A chill shot through me at his threatening tone, and I let go of the doorjamb. I wouldn’t have been able to hold on long anyway. The drugs were making me weaker by the second. When we reached the car, he let go of me. With a squeaking cloth-against-metal sound, I slowly slid down the side of the vehicle, landing like a sack of potatoes on the cold cement floor. Gnashing my teeth, I stayed where I was, too feeble to move.
