Randy should have known she’d want to see Danny for herself. The fact the lunatic survived the fire still baffled everyone at the scene. Supposedly, when they first discovered he had a pulse amongst the charred ruins, there was no way in hell they expected him to make it through the night. In hindsight, he was kind of glad he hadn’t known then. He had enough dealing with Becca’s brush with death.
He hadn’t expected Jacob wanting to see him either, and that made him very nervous. How will the two of them react to seeing Danny after everything the bastard put them through?
Randy knocked on the open office door.
Chief turned in his chair and held a finger up. “Yes, that’s right. Thank you for your help.” He set the phone back in its cradle.
“I just wanted to let you know I’m leaving shortly to pick up Becca. I trust you cleared the way for the four of us?”
His boss took off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Yes, they will be expecting you.” He pushed away from his desk and leaned back in his chair. “I’m still not convinced this is such a great idea.”
Randy shrugged. “You and I both, but you know Becca once she sets her sight on doing something.”
Chief Thomson chuckled. “Yes, I do. Keep a close eye on her, especially Jacob. God only knows how they’re going to handle seeing Danny again.”
“Will do.” He glanced at his watch. “I better get over there. If I keep her waiting too long she’ll probably leave without me.”
“Good luck, buddy. Better you than me.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Randy stepped outside and took a deep breath. All around him the first signs of fall added a splash of color. Too bad they weren’t taking the bikes. Nothing compared to riding under a canopy of fall colors.
He opened the door and slipped in behind the wheel. At least the SUV was nice and roomy for Becca and Jacob. Randy put down all of the windows and took a deep, cleansing breath before turning the key in the ignition.
Lord, give me strength.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The silence was deafening. Jacob and Jeffery sat side by side in the back seat. Jeffery kept Jacob tucked protectively to his side with an arm draped across his shoulders.
Randy sat behind the wheel nibbling at the inside of his bottom lip. Becca knew he wasn’t crazy about any of this, but he drove them in spite of his reservations. He drove them because he loved her.
“How much further is it?”
“Um, maybe a half hour or so.” He gave her a fleeting glance before shifting his attention back to the road.
Becca winced, turning in her seat enough to look back at Jacob and Jeffery.
“How are you holding up?”
“To be quite honest, I feel like I could puke at any second.”
“Oh, no. Do you want Randy to pull over?”
Jacob put up a hand. “No, I’ve been feeling this way since the day I left your hospital room.”
Jeffery rubbed up and down his partner’s arm. “You don’t have to go through with this. I can go in myself to prove he’s in there.”
Jacob smiled and gazed into his partner’s eyes. “I know you’d do that for me and I love you for that.” He patted his hand and looked back at Becca. “No, this is something we need to do for ourselves.”
“So, you’ll both be happy just to see him from a distance, right? No good can come of having a face-to-face confrontation with the guy.”
Becca looked from Jacob back to him. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t do it, Becca. For me, please.”
His sincerity tugged at her heartstrings but she couldn’t lie to him. “I’m sorry, Randy. I can’t make any promises.”
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 they 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 nodded 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 played 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. That was until she awoke with only a few wisps remaining of her long, red hair. She knew it would grow back, but she couldn’t help feeling 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 as repulsive.” The doctor 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?” she 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 got, 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 yellowish 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 gritted 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 wavering.
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 faced 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.