“Son!” Big Al exclaimed, rushing in and checking Campbell over before picking him up.
“Liv’s hurt!” Campbell said, and then broke into tears as he buried his head in Big Al’s throat.
“It’s okay, Liv will be fine,” Big Al soothed as he rubbed his son’s back. His gaze captured mine, and I nodded.
“Olivia’s got a bad break. They’re taking her for surgery, but I think she’ll be fine,” I replied and yawned.
“How much sleep did you get?” Big Al asked.
“About three hours.” My eyes stung, and I was sure they were red-rimmed. But that wasn’t what bothered me. No, that was the curvy nurse whose heart I’d smashed to smithereens years agoand who hated the very sight of me. What the fuck was April doing back in Spearfish?
April
Finally, I grabbed a few minutes and sucked air into my lungs. Ever since I’d set eyes on Stone holding Olivia, I felt like I’d been suffocating. Punches straight to my heart and gut had landed when I thought she was his daughter. Then anger took over when he didn’t know her details. What type of deadbeat Dad was he? Turned out Stone wasn’t her parent after all, and I’d jumped to conclusions. Who the hell cared? I didn’t.
The scene I’d been dreading had arrived—we’d set eyes on each other, and neither of us had keeled over. Although my murderous instinct was incredibly healthy right now, considering how enraged I was. Stone had looked just as stunned to see me, but had lacked the hate and rage I felt.
He also wore the same patch that Smokey had. Had Stone known I was around and sent Smokey to intercept me? No, that was stupid thinking. Smokey couldn’t have put the snake in my car, although I did wonder how it had got there. Why would Stone want to track me down now? That was my paranoia talking, nothing else. Stone had made it clear when he dumped me in the dirt that he didn’t give a fuck about me.
Quickly, I shied away from the memory, not wanting to recall how I’d begged Stone not to break up. That was old me, not new me. I took a few more deep breaths and headed back inside. The ER was relatively calm today, so I checked over some paperwork and ignored the eyes burning into my back. A clear bulletproof screen separated the nurse’s station and ER from the waiting room.
Stone was still there. I could sense him. Every nerve in my body was standing on end and screaming that I was being watched. However, I refused to turn around and face him. Stone no longer had a place in my life, nor any right to a single moment of my time. He’d made his choice, and now Stone could look upon what he’d missed out on.
“April. There are two cops here wanting to talk to you,” a nurse called out.
I turned in surprise. “What?”
“Police officers, they say they’re from the Colorado PD.”
“Okay,” I drawled as she pointed to a waiting room where two men stood. Yup, they screamed ‘cop.’ I headed over, knocked, and entered.
“I’m April Graham. You wanted me?”
“Hi, I’m Detective Jones, and this is Detective Ball. Are you the April Graham who used to live at…” Detective Jones rattled off my old address.
“Yeah. I left three weeks ago, though. Is there a problem?”
“Ma’am, a murder was committed in your old apartment…”
“What?!” I exclaimed, shocked.
“The lady who rented after you was murdered,” Ball announced.
“Sorry to hear that. However, how’s that concern me? I’ve been in Spearfish for nearly a month.”
“The victim was killed two days after you left. From what we’ve discovered, she had no enemies, and there was no reason for her murder,” Jones explained.
“Everyone has enemies, detective. But I still don’t understand why you’re here to see me.”
“We don’t believe she was the target based on our discoveries,” Ball said abruptly.
I quickly did the math. “You think I was? Wow, what a nightmare day this is becoming!” I exclaimed and sat down heavily.
“Sorry for my partner; he has an unfortunate habit of being blunt,” Jones stated.
“Good cop, bad cop, please spare me the routine. Why do you believe it’s aimed at me?” I asked as my mind raced.
“Graffiti had been left. Would you mind looking at it?” Jones inquired. I shook my head and took the pictures he handed me. In a vile shade of purple, one I was sure I’d seen before, words were painted upon the wall. ‘She didn’t belong here. Where are you? Run, but you can’t hide.’
