The image was blurry, but clear enough.
Wreckage. Dark, rust-colored stains everywhere.
They'd killed the hostage.
I stared at his face, unblinking.
He frowned at first. Then he let out a long, slow breath of relief.
Like he'd just shed an enormous burden.
He turned to Florence, and the corner of his mouth actually curved into a relaxed smile.
"Finally. Some peace and quiet."
"Nobody's going to bother us with that nonsense ever again."
Florence nodded on cue, her voice soft and soothing. "Chester, don't think about those unpleasant things anymore."
From start to finish, neither of them suspected a thing.
Not a flicker of grief.
Not the faintest inkling of who had actually died.
I looked at him standing there, so heartless, so utterly devoid of human feeling, and suddenly I laughed.
Laughed until tears rolled down my cheeks.
The sound unnerved Chester. He snapped at me, voice sharp. "Have you lost your mind?"
I wiped the tear from the corner of my eye.
My expression was calm. My gaze was ice.
I looked straight at him and spoke slowly, deliberately, each word quiet but cutting to the bone.
"Chester. You're going to regret this."
Chester seized the front of my shirt and slammed me against the wall.