motor.
Crowe knew Corbin Pass and Callahan Peak well. He knew better than to drive this road at the speeds they were currently clocking, but heâd be damned if heâd let Wayne get away now.
âSon of a bitch,â Crowe muttered as his borrowed sports car held the curves at ridiculous speeds while the car ahead of him nearly slid over the side of the mountain at the sharpest angle in a turn.
That sedan wasnât going to hold itself on the road for long unless the other man slowed down significantly.
âCall from Sorenson, Wayne,â the feminine tone of the Bluetooth announced over the earbud. âAccept or deny?â
God how he wanted to reject that call.
âAccept,â Crowe finally barked.
As though anything he could say or do could ever make a difference at this point.
âWhat do you want, Sorenson?â Crowe growled when the call connected.
âShould I prepare a list?â Wayne asked, his voice calm, sad, despite the effort Crowe knew it was taking to control that damned vehicle.
âForget your list, Wayne,â Crowe said, fury and cold, hard mercilessness spreading inside him. âIf you survive this mountain then youâll still have to deal with me. And you know what Iâm going to do.â
âKill me?â Amusement laced Wayneâs tone. âSo sorry to disappoint you, Crowe. Well, perhaps Iâm not. But I canât allow you that pleasure, though I very much hope that should I indeed go over one of these cliffs, Iâll have the pleasure of taking you with me. Too bad Amelia isnât here as well.â
âKeep hoping, asshole,â Crowe drawled, ignoring his mention of Amelia. âItâs not going to happen.â
A hard breath echoed over the phone.
âEvery time I see you, I see your mother, do you know that?â Wayne asked, his voice hollow. âAll the fury of a woman betrayed mixed with the disbelief, horror, and shattered trust that comes when you believe a true friend was the one to steal the hopes and dreams harbored in your soul. That was my Kimmy as her eyes filled with tears, her lips trembled, and she begged for the life of that whimpering brat she held to her heart.â
His mother, Crowe thought. The son of a bitch had killed his own parents and his cousinsâ parents during one of the worst blizzards to ever rage in the area twenty-four years ago. All that had saved the newborn Kimberly Callahan held in her arms had been her pleas and some demented emotion the bastard had felt for her before her marriage.
Crowe clenched his teeth, forcing himself to listen, hating the bastard, but knowing the confession in the recorded call would be all they needed if Wayne somehow survived.
âI thought baby Sarah Ann would ease my pain,â he continued, speaking of the infant sister Crowe had believed was dead for so many years. âI knew she would be the image of her mother, and she is. But I never really see the heart and soul of my Kimmy in her.â
Silence filled the line.
âAre you there, Crowe?â Wayne asked softly.
Crowe didnât answer, only clenched his hands tighter on the steering wheel.
âYes, youâre there. I can feel the fury, and hatred. The pain,â Wayne said.
Croweâs teeth were locked tight, clenched to hold back the rage building inside him.
Clenched so tight that his jaw felt as though it might crack.
âIt wasnât Sarah Ann that held her motherâs heart and fire, though. It was you, Crowe. I think thatâs why I couldnât kill you in all these years. I couldnât kill your cousins, either. Kill them and you might actually leave. You might turn your back on everything here and never return. It took me until last night to realize why I hadnât killed you. Thatâs why I couldnât do as I planned and just kill you afterââ
Silence.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Crowe had to laugh.
It was a bitter, furious
Crowe knew Corbin Pass and Callahan Peak well. He knew better than to drive this road at the speeds they were currently clocking, but heâd be damned if heâd let Wayne get away now.
âSon of a bitch,â Crowe muttered as his borrowed sports car held the curves at ridiculous speeds while the car ahead of him nearly slid over the side of the mountain at the sharpest angle in a turn.
That sedan wasnât going to hold itself on the road for long unless the other man slowed down significantly.
âCall from Sorenson, Wayne,â the feminine tone of the Bluetooth announced over the earbud. âAccept or deny?â
God how he wanted to reject that call.
âAccept,â Crowe finally barked.
As though anything he could say or do could ever make a difference at this point.
âWhat do you want, Sorenson?â Crowe growled when the call connected.
âShould I prepare a list?â Wayne asked, his voice calm, sad, despite the effort Crowe knew it was taking to control that damned vehicle.
âForget your list, Wayne,â Crowe said, fury and cold, hard mercilessness spreading inside him. âIf you survive this mountain then youâll still have to deal with me. And you know what Iâm going to do.â
âKill me?â Amusement laced Wayneâs tone. âSo sorry to disappoint you, Crowe. Well, perhaps Iâm not. But I canât allow you that pleasure, though I very much hope that should I indeed go over one of these cliffs, Iâll have the pleasure of taking you with me. Too bad Amelia isnât here as well.â
âKeep hoping, asshole,â Crowe drawled, ignoring his mention of Amelia. âItâs not going to happen.â
A hard breath echoed over the phone.
âEvery time I see you, I see your mother, do you know that?â Wayne asked, his voice hollow. âAll the fury of a woman betrayed mixed with the disbelief, horror, and shattered trust that comes when you believe a true friend was the one to steal the hopes and dreams harbored in your soul. That was my Kimmy as her eyes filled with tears, her lips trembled, and she begged for the life of that whimpering brat she held to her heart.â
His mother, Crowe thought. The son of a bitch had killed his own parents and his cousinsâ parents during one of the worst blizzards to ever rage in the area twenty-four years ago. All that had saved the newborn Kimberly Callahan held in her arms had been her pleas and some demented emotion the bastard had felt for her before her marriage.
Crowe clenched his teeth, forcing himself to listen, hating the bastard, but knowing the confession in the recorded call would be all they needed if Wayne somehow survived.
âI thought baby Sarah Ann would ease my pain,â he continued, speaking of the infant sister Crowe had believed was dead for so many years. âI knew she would be the image of her mother, and she is. But I never really see the heart and soul of my Kimmy in her.â
Silence filled the line.
âAre you there, Crowe?â Wayne asked softly.
Crowe didnât answer, only clenched his hands tighter on the steering wheel.
âYes, youâre there. I can feel the fury, and hatred. The pain,â Wayne said.
Croweâs teeth were locked tight, clenched to hold back the rage building inside him.
Clenched so tight that his jaw felt as though it might crack.
âIt wasnât Sarah Ann that held her motherâs heart and fire, though. It was you, Crowe. I think thatâs why I couldnât kill you in all these years. I couldnât kill your cousins, either. Kill them and you might actually leave. You might turn your back on everything here and never return. It took me until last night to realize why I hadnât killed you. Thatâs why I couldnât do as I planned and just kill you afterââ
Silence.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Crowe had to laugh.
It was a bitter, furious
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