Chapter 36 Colt
Colt
Iwas going to kill him. Whoever this sick fuck was, I was going to take him out before he got within a hundred yards of my family again.
Now that the bastard’s here, you can finally be mine. See you soon, Amore Mio.
The words played over and over and over again in my mind. Sick prick. Violet wasn’t his love. She was mine. And I was at the point in this disgusting cat and mouse game where I wanted him to come for her. Because I’d end things, once and for all.
I knew the sign-off was a clue. Smug. Pompous. Overly confident that I wouldn’t be able to figure it out. But I did. I knew.
Because only one character in all of Violet’s books used that term of endearment. The answers would be in that book.
The elevator chimed and opened out on the first floor of the hospital. I hadn’t been down here in days. Not since I brought Vi in.
A tall, lanky kid stood behind the register of the gift shop. “How can I help you today, sir?”
“A flower arrangement was just delivered to my wife’s hospital room. I’m wondering if you can tell me who sent it?” I slid the card from the flowers across the counter to him.
The kid shook his head. “It looks like they didn’t leave a name to put on the card, and it is our business policy to not give out that information.”
“Alright. Thanks.” I pocketed the card, knowing it was just another piece of evidence that would be added to Vi’s case file. But something in my gut told me this is where we were going to catch him.
“Hey, what are you doing down here?” I turned, Hayes strolling in through the double doors with a large paper bag in his hand and a shit-eating grin on his face. “Got so hungry you couldn’t wait for me to bring up food for lunch? Had to meet me here?”
I shook my head. “Didn’t even know you were on your way over.”
“Well, yeah. Told the guys at the firehouse I’d give their congratulations to you and Vi in person. Wait…why do you look like you’re about to kick someone’s ass?”
I groaned. “Is that fried chicken?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Let’s go. Vi deserves to eat it while it’s still hot.”
My brother clapped his hand on my shoulder, and we walked in silence until I was facing the elevators again.
“So, what’s going on? It’s not Vi or Connor, is it? They’re both still okay?”
“Yeah, physically, they’re good. But Vi’s stalker sent her flowers.”
Hayes’ eyes went wide as the elevator opened, and four people filed out between us. Luckily, we were the only ones to get back on. I pressed the button for the third floor.
“He knows she’s here?”
I nodded.
“How? How the fuck is that possible? How does he know her room number?”
“I don’t know. I finally had a fucking minute to get back to Gage. I had him tracking an email the bastard sent, but I guess the signal was bounced through a VPN. He was able to get me the name used to register the email account, but it was a dead end.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. But I think this guy finally messed up. He called her a nickname. The same one Vi used in her very first book.”
“So your book theory holds up.”
I nodded. “I need to get my hands on a copy of it. I think the wild goose chase through all the clues in different stories was just for his amusement. The real answer is going to be in that book.”