With Visions of Red (Broken Bonds #3) (15 page)

Wiping his brow with the sleeve of his suit, he turns toward me. “Probably just the excitement of tonight.” He attempts a smile, but it’s weak. I can see the tremble of his lips.

“Are you sure about that?” I slink closer. “No sudden nausea. Chills. Clammy skin.”

He coughs and struggles to suck in a breath. Then, on unsteady feet, staggers down the alley. I follow.

“You should think twice before just
taking what you want
, Price.”

He stops. Turns to stare at me, understanding lighting his eyes.

“You can feel your lungs shutting down. The pressure on your chest mimics a heart attack…but it won’t be that quick. Or that merciful. You’ll appear as docile and calm as if you’re simply drifting off to sleep.”

He drops to his knees, splays his fingers against the rain-puddled pavement. I crouch beside him. “But the whole time,” I continue. “You’ll be trapped inside your body. A hostage. Unable to move, to talk—the paralytic fear consuming you.”

He wheezes in a tight breath. “What…?”

“Saxitoxin,” I answer. “I slipped it into the SoCo. Popular in the sixties as a racy CIA chemical weapon, it was only ever theorized, never put to use. But as you can see, its effectiveness is undeniable.”

He stretches out on his back, unconcerned with the Dumpster beside him, the runoff of rancid rainwater staining his suit. “It’s so cliché, beauty. Poison?” He coughs around a strained laugh. “You really are venomous.”

“Cliché, yes. But you didn’t really give me the same courtesy to
prepare
your demise. I had to improvise.”

“This is careless,” he accuses. “So unlike you. Where will you dispose of me?”

“I’ve been thinking about that for a while.” I walk a circle around him. “But it wasn’t until you abducted Avery that the answer presented itself. You didn’t think ahead on that one.” I
tsk
. “A medical examiner? What if she escaped? Up until the end, you had it all worked out. Simon was supposed to kill Avery and go down for all the murders. All the evidence pointed to him, on his own boat. But what if Avery overpowered him?”

“Impossible. I broke that bitch.”

“But you didn’t count on us getting to her first.” I look down at him. “And here’s the kicker: what if once Avery was free, she became the lead M.E. processing your death?”

His eyes widen, the horror of his oversight gripping him as quickly as the toxin.

“For a woman ripe with vengeance—justified vengeance—a shellfish toxin is easily enough explained. I doubt anyone will question Avery’s COD report. Especially when your stomach contents will match the menu of the very bar where your credit card was last used.”

He clutches his throat, trying to talk. I fill in the gaps for him.

“Too bad you’ll be dead and unable to feel Avery slicing open your stomach…filling your bowels with evidence. But just try to picture the smile on her face. Just do it. I’m sure you can recall what she looked like before you stole it from her.”

Sometimes, we can be mistaken. I discovered that, once Avery began her recovery, we could talk openly about our newfound connection. There may come a day when her healing journey leads her to a place of remorse for the man who tortured her—but until then, she’s bound to secrecy within our world.

With a shaky hand, he beckons me near. One last indulgence, I suppose. I drop down beside him and draw close. “What did you say to him?” he asks, his voice a low rattle. “What did you say to Connelly…there at the end?”

I lean in closer to his ear. “I’m the master.”

Yes, I’m the master now. My mentor revealed the killer within—she may have forever lain dormant if not for him. But that was the trigger…
my
trigger. For years, the behaviorist in me tried to dissect it. One in eight abused become the abuser. That’s a fact.

I’m the one.

I’m the monster.

Colton once said that I had something taken away from me—but that’s not entirely true. My abductor took, but he also gave me the cruel truth of my nature. He unleashed it. He was the catalyst.

Only now, I’m strong enough to resist submitting to it.

A faint smile brushes Price’s mouth. Then just as quickly, his eyes no longer see.

I slip on a glove and lift the cuff of his suit. It’s a bit overzealous of Price, a bit obvious in his choice. The selection of a sword meant to impress me, but really, it’s just a sad extension of his impotent phallus.

Still, the miniature flamberg will look good on my trophy shelf.

A
t the foot
of my bed, I watch the rise and fall of Colton’s chest. The moonlight peeks through the slats in the blinds, casting shadows in the room. The alternating light and dark falls across his body, accentuating the dips and arches of his exquisite form.

I push the shoulders of my dress down my arms and step out of my dress. Reaching behind my neck, I undo the clasp of the necklace and then place it and the USB drive in the drawer of my nightstand. Slipping between the cool sheets, I press up against the curve of his back. His body heat warms me instantly, and the harsh chill covering my skin subsides.

I feel the shift in his breathing against my breasts. He stirs, shifting the covers over us as he turns to face me. His warm breath caresses the top of my head, and I tuck myself in the perfectly-designed-for-me nook between his chest and the bed.

“You should’ve told me,” he says, the deep baritone of his voice a low boom in the too-quiet room.

“You would’ve tried to make me stay,” I reply.

“Fuck right.”

“Or you would’ve tried to kill him yourself.”

“Absolutely.”

I tilt my head back, meeting his dark gaze. “Emotion can’t play a part, Colton. That leaves behind a traceable, messy trail.”

His hand spreads against my back, the pads of his coarse fingers massaging the muscles along my spine. “Then why take the chance at all.”

I release a slow breath. “Because I can’t leave him out there as a threat to my mother, or you. Or people I care about like Avery.”

“Seems emotion played some part.” He roves down to my thigh, bringing my leg over his hip.

I smile into his chest. “That’s the irony, I guess.”

“How does my dark goddess unwind from a night of hunting?”

Pushing up, I kiss him hard. With passion, and reverence, and the love unfurling within me more and more the longer we’re together. I pull back, just enough to whisper, “By commanding her sexy bondage rigger to bind her so tightly, nothing can ever break them apart.”

He moves on top of me, his weight pressing me into the mattress, as he reaches for the rope tied to the headboard. “Yes, goddess.”

J
ournal entries
:

W
hen you dig
deep into the bowels of evil, you cannot hope to reemerge unscathed, unaffected, unchanged—but rather you know without doubt that your character is as fragile and susceptible to fate as the changing tide is to the sea. It’s very little to do with choice. And everything to do with risk.

T
o her darkness
, she whispers. Of monsters and visions of red, of the terrors that claw up from her abyss. Monsters are forged, but heroes are born. To the light, she sings. Of fortitude and acceptance found only in his arms.

A
cceptance is peace
. ~Sadie Bonds

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Living Heartwood Novels

The Darkest Part
: Living Heartwood (Book 1)
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Losing Track
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Fading Out
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Living Heartwood (Book 3)
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Bad Road
: Living Heartwood (Book 4 coming soon)

Dark Romantic Thriller Series: Broken Bonds

With Visions of Red
: Broken Bonds, Book One
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With Visions of Red
: Broken Bonds, Book Two
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With Visions of Red
: Broken Bonds, Book Three
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T
hank you to
:

My amazingly talented critique partner and friend, P.T. Michelle, for reading so quickly, giving me the much needed pep talks and advice, wonderful notes, and for your friendship.

My super human beta readers, who read on the fly and offer so much encouragement, I could not write books without your brilliance. Honestly, you are my girls! Katrina Tinnon, Naomi Hopkins, Amy Bosica, and Michell Casper. I really can’t express how much you mean to me—just know that I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.

A special shout out to the girls who keep me sane in the Wolfe Club, where it’s perfectly acceptable to be anything but ;) You girls are the best. You make me laugh, keep me motivated, and offer so much support, you have no idea. I adore every single one of you. And a special thank you to my girls in the group for helping me get this last book in shape! Thank you!

My awesome assistant, Naomi Hopkins. I could not get through one book without your insightful input, girl. You go above and beyond an assistant’s duties to help me sort through my chaotic life. Thank you for being a friend.

To my family. My son, Blue, who is my inspiration, thank you for being you. I love you. And my husband, Daniel, for your support and owning your title as “the husband” at every book event. I love you, too. To my parents, Debbie and Al, for the emotional support, chocolate, and unconditional love—I love you guys right back.

Najla Qamber of Najla Qamber Designs, thank you for so much for not just creating this stunning, take-my-breath-away cover, but for also just rocking so hard! You were so much fun to worth with; you took the stress right out of the very stressful task of series cover creation, and I cannot wait to work with you again on future projects. This cover is everything I envisioned and more.

A special acknowledgement to Damaris, thank you for being not only a wonderful friend, who’s there when I just need to call someone, but also a huge support of my career. You mean so much to me.

There are many, oh, so many people who I have to thank, who have been right beside me during this journey, and who will continue to be there, but I know I can’t thank everyone here, the list would go on and on! So just know that I love you dearly. You know who you are, and I wouldn’t be here without your support. Thank you so much.

To my readers, you have no idea how much I value and love each and every one of you. If it wasn’t for you, none of this could be possible. As cliché as that sounds, I mean it from the bottom of my heart; I adore you, and hope to always put out books that make you laugh, swoon, and cry.

I owe everything to God, thank you for
everything
.

F
rom an early age
, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself. Get updates on future releases and special bonus material at
http://www.trishawolfe.com/

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