Killer Scents (30 page)

Randy had a bad feeling
about coming here. He
turned into the hospital parking lot
where
a guard checked all of their identifications before
letting them in
.

After a rather intense discussion between the four of them, both Becca and Jacob promised one thing.  No matter what their decision might be, neither one would go anywhere near Danny alone.

Randy
parked the car and the
y all
just sat there looking at one another.
He
totally understood their need to confront Danny. If it were him, nothing would be able to hold him back.

“Remember your promise.” He gazed intently into Becca’s eyes. “I’m not going to stand in your way, but you have to keep your promise, okay?”

Becca nod
ded
and leaned over to kiss his cheek, whispering next to his ear. “Thank you.”

He
cupped
her face in his hands and kissed her soundly before letting go. “You’re welcome.”

He loved to see the color flood her cheeks
.
A
half smile play
ed
on her damp lips as she turned away and opened the door.

He rushed around the front of the truck
and
helped Becca out.
Jacob and Jeffery
took
a few moments
of
privacy
, while Randy fetched
the wheelchair from out of the back. Jeffery
climbed out first. He then
scooped
Jacob
into his arms
and
settled him in the
seat
.

Jacob frowned, his hands on the arms of the chair. “Is this really necessary? I can walk
,
you know.”

“You heard what the doctor said. You need to conserve your energy for breathing. Once your lung heals you
’
ll be back on
your
feet.”

“If you insist, but I
will not
let Danny see me in this chair.”

“Okay
,
guys, deep breath in...
. Now
let it out nice and slow.”

Each one complied. Randy tucked Becca’s hand in the crook of his arm. “Let’s
get this over with
.”

A collective gasp filled the small viewing room as the guard pointed out Danny. Becca’s knees buckled and she welcomed Randy’s protective arm pulling her to his side.

Jacob clutched Jeffery’s hands
. He gaped at
the maniac who
had
altered his life forever.

Every inch of
the man’s
exposed skin was
charred
. God only knew what was going on beneath the toque he wore. Becca instinctively feathered the ends of her hair that now brushed the top of her collar.

She’d never considered herself a vain woman
.
T
hat
wa
s until she awoke with only a few wisps remaining of her long
,
red hair.
S
he knew it would grow
back
, but she couldn’t help feel
ing
she was looking at a stranger in
the
mirror.

“I know it looks bad, but once the scabs fall away it won’t be quite a
s
repulsive.”
The d
octor turned
,
facing
them. “He’s actually very lucky he still has use of his extremities. Medically it baffles me how he
survived
with all his fingers and toes intact.”

“What about mentally?”

The doctor put on his glasses and opened Danny’s chart. “From what we can tell, his brain function hasn’t been affected.”

“What do you mean, from what you can tell?”
She couldn’t
tear her gaze away from Danny.

“He only started speaking three days ago.”

“Can you tell us what frame of mind he’s in?” Jeffery asked the doctor.

Jacob still watched Danny in a trance
-
like stupor.

Becca
rubbed his arm
. “Are you okay?”

He
shrugged
. “For the past few days I’ve thought of nothing but how I was going to kill the
prick
when I saw him.”
He
looked up at her, his eyes
full of
confusion. “Look at him. What could I possibly do to make him suffer more than he
already is
?”

“I guess the question is
:
do the two of you still want to speak to him face to face?” asked Randy.

Becca crouched beside Jacob’s wheelchair. “Well, what do you want to do?”

Jacob heaved a sigh. “I’m not crazy about seeing all of that up close, but I know if I don’t have the satisfaction of showing him I’m alive and much better off than
he is,
I’ll regret it.”

“Okay then, let’s get this over with.” She straightened. “Randy, I hope you understand, but I think this is something we should do alone. You can watch from here and come running if need be.”

Randy took her hand in his and gently kissed it. “I’ll be right here. Remember, he has no power over anyone anymore. You two are the ones in control.”

Her eyes
misted
and she blinked
quickly.

The doctor stood with his hand on the
door
handle
. “Whenever you’re ready.”

A uniformed guard
turned his key in the lock, allowing
them entrance. They’d barely set foot in the room when
they were
stopped in their tracks by the god-awful smell. Becca repressed the sudden impulse to upchuck. Jacob firmed his hold on her arm, swaying like he might faint.

“Are you okay?”
s
he whispered out the side of her mouth.

He
nodded, but the paleness of his skin told otherwise. “What is that smell?

Across the
room
,
a guard approached Danny and ushered him to sit at a table.

The closer they go
t
, the more evident it became where the stench came from. Danny’s blackened skin
looked like
sun
-
baked, cracked mud.
If she had to guess, the god-awful smell came from the y
ellowish
goo that coated every inch of exposed skin. Whatever kind of ointment it was, she’d never smelled the likes of it
.
He wore a toque
—given her experience she could only speculate he’d also lost all of his hair.

Danny kept his
head
bowed
. He appeared to be
feigning interest in his scab
-
covered hands
. He
no longer
acted like
the pompous, self-absorbed killer
from the darkest time of her life
.

Becca glanced at Jacob. His
jaw
muscles contracted like he grit
ted
his teeth, the intense anger emanating from him almost palpable.

“Don’t tell me you don’t have the balls to look me in the eye
,” Jacob snapped. “
Or did you lose them in the fire?”

Danny’s breath came
as
a breathy shudder
.
He
slowly raised his
head
and then
narrowed his gaze on Jacob. Although he remained silent, there was no denying his intent to unnerve him.

“You
have
nothing to say, asshole? You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you?”

The corner of Danny’s mouth lifted, his eye contact with Jacob never waver
ing
.

Jacob grabbed hold of the
table’s
edge and hoisted himself up to lean across, right in Danny’s face. “I’m alive, motherfucker. I leave here a free man to get on with my life with Jeffery while you sit in here with your rotting flesh and drug
-
induced days and nights.
”

One of the guards appeared and put a hand on Jacob’s shoulder.”You need to take a seat or leave the room, sir.”

“Not a problem
.
I’ve seen enough.” Jacob turned and stormed from the room on his own.

Becca looked back at Danny to find him watching her, his face void of expression.

“I didn’t know what to
expect today. All I wanted was proof you were indeed alive and would spend the rest of your life locked away.” She stood. “Mission accomplished. Have a nice life.” She put two fingers to her forehead in a wave of sorts and turned on her heel.

“Becca?”

Her breath
cut short
and she face
d
him once again.

“Did anyone ever tell you
that
you have a nice mouth?”

Her stomach churned. “You’re one sick puppy, aren’t you?”

He winked at her. “I’ll be seeing you.”

“Don’t hold your breath. I won’t be back.”

He
tossed
his
head
back
and silenced the room
with his menacing laughter
. It
carried with her hurried
exit
from the room.

Chapter Thirty-Five

They rode under a canopy of yellow and orange. A warm breeze brought leaves cascading down
. T
he late afternoon sun pushed through and washed the colors in warmth. Around the next bend, a brilliant red explosion erupted from a bevy of majestic
m
aple trees.

Becca settled in her seat and watched Randy lean into each curve with the ease of a seasoned rider.
He
signalled
,
and
she followed him
in
to
a rest stop where a roadhouse with a large outdoor deck on the upper level offered a spectacular view of the lake.

Becca’s skin tingled from the wind on her face, a welcome sensation she hadn’t realized she’d missed so much. Randy walked toward her, a slight tinge of red to his already bronzed skin. H
e
smiled
, his eyes
filled
with genuine happiness to be here with her.

She set her helmet on
the
seat and crossed the distance between them
.
Becca reached up and
clasp
ed
her hands behind his neck
,
kissing him soundly on the mouth. His laughter filled the space between them as she pulled away.