punch, countering with one of his own to Collier's mid-section. He followed with a quick jab to his chin, and Collier hit the ground like a ton of bricks.
"Fucking glass jaw," Wilcox muttered.
Disappointed that it was over so quickly, Dalton turned away in disgust. He wanted to do some damage, but he didn't hit a man who was down for the count.
"Do you want me to take you someplace?" Dalton asked a weeping Bonnie. He didn't know who her tears were for, and he didn't care. All Dalton wanted was to get out of this crazy town as quickly as possible.
"Where would I go?" Bonnie asked, genuinely puzzled. "Collier is my husband. I live with him."
Dalton wasn't surprised by Bonnie's answer. She hadn't left Collier before. Why would tonight be any different? He gave her an option. She turned him down. It was no longer any of his business.
"Watch out!"
Instinct and quick reflexes were all that saved Dalton from a smashed skull. He dove to his right, before rolling to his feet. As it was, Collier managed to clip Dalton's shoulder with the fist-sized rock.
"You got lucky, asshole. You won't take me down again."
"This won't end well." Slightly crouched, Dalton waited for Collier to make his move. "Walk away while you still can."
"Hey, punk. Are you feeling lucky? Because that's the only way you're getting past me again."
Dalton didn't know if Collier had purposely paraphrased Clint Eastwood. Time wasn't on his side, or he would have called the idiot out. But Collier chose that moment to swing. Dalton went low, swung his foot around, and took the other man's legs out from under him. The air knocked out of him, he lay on his back gasping for air.
Dalton was pissed off by the entire situation—especially Bonnie who was enjoying the fight way too much for a woman who just minutes earlier had been a weeping, cowering, traumatized mess. Her eyes seemed to glow with a sick kind of excitement. He didn't know what the hell was going on there.
Dusting off his jeans, Dalton winced. Damn, his shoulder had taken a harder hit than he realized. All he could think was that it better not fuck up his drumming. He had already put Collier and Bonnie in his rearview mirror. As far as Dalton was concerned, it was over. Case closed.
Unfortunately, Collier had other ideas. Humiliated. Taken down by a man he viewed as inferior in every way. He needed to vent his frustration and rise from his humiliation. Reaching for the only weapon he had, Collier slung the rock at Dalton.
Dalton wheeled around seconds after the rock sailed past his head. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Seeing red, Dalton lost every ounce of cool he possessed. It was the moment that changed his young life forever.
PRESENT DAY
"I BEAT THE shit out of him. I like to think I would have stopped at that, but I'll never know for sure. Collier's muscle men pulled me off before I could do permanent damage."
"Do you honestly think you would have killed him?" Colleen asked. She sat with her arms wrapped around her pulled-in knees, her cheek resting on top.
"Maybe."
"That is total bullshit." Colleen didn't move, but her eyes narrowed. "You had your chance to take him out. Twice. You barely did more than dirty his rich-boy clothes. The third time you vented. It's understandable. But murder? Please."
"My fists punching the smug expression off Collier's face felt damn good."
"I'll bet." Colleen shook her head. "I know Collier. I'm afraid the smug came back. Tenfold."
"He came to court. Everyday. Smirking."
"You were railroaded."
"I was guilty."
Colleen turned her head until she looked out on the lake.
"Money can do so much good—in the right hands. Collier's father used his to make certain you paid for his son's crime." She frowned. "It's like a slight of hand trick. The magician draws the attention of his audience one way, distracting from what is really happening. That is what Judge Langley did."
"I was the distraction?"
"Exactly. Collier beat his wife. He started the
"Fucking glass jaw," Wilcox muttered.
Disappointed that it was over so quickly, Dalton turned away in disgust. He wanted to do some damage, but he didn't hit a man who was down for the count.
"Do you want me to take you someplace?" Dalton asked a weeping Bonnie. He didn't know who her tears were for, and he didn't care. All Dalton wanted was to get out of this crazy town as quickly as possible.
"Where would I go?" Bonnie asked, genuinely puzzled. "Collier is my husband. I live with him."
Dalton wasn't surprised by Bonnie's answer. She hadn't left Collier before. Why would tonight be any different? He gave her an option. She turned him down. It was no longer any of his business.
"Watch out!"
Instinct and quick reflexes were all that saved Dalton from a smashed skull. He dove to his right, before rolling to his feet. As it was, Collier managed to clip Dalton's shoulder with the fist-sized rock.
"You got lucky, asshole. You won't take me down again."
"This won't end well." Slightly crouched, Dalton waited for Collier to make his move. "Walk away while you still can."
"Hey, punk. Are you feeling lucky? Because that's the only way you're getting past me again."
Dalton didn't know if Collier had purposely paraphrased Clint Eastwood. Time wasn't on his side, or he would have called the idiot out. But Collier chose that moment to swing. Dalton went low, swung his foot around, and took the other man's legs out from under him. The air knocked out of him, he lay on his back gasping for air.
Dalton was pissed off by the entire situation—especially Bonnie who was enjoying the fight way too much for a woman who just minutes earlier had been a weeping, cowering, traumatized mess. Her eyes seemed to glow with a sick kind of excitement. He didn't know what the hell was going on there.
Dusting off his jeans, Dalton winced. Damn, his shoulder had taken a harder hit than he realized. All he could think was that it better not fuck up his drumming. He had already put Collier and Bonnie in his rearview mirror. As far as Dalton was concerned, it was over. Case closed.
Unfortunately, Collier had other ideas. Humiliated. Taken down by a man he viewed as inferior in every way. He needed to vent his frustration and rise from his humiliation. Reaching for the only weapon he had, Collier slung the rock at Dalton.
Dalton wheeled around seconds after the rock sailed past his head. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Seeing red, Dalton lost every ounce of cool he possessed. It was the moment that changed his young life forever.
PRESENT DAY
"I BEAT THE shit out of him. I like to think I would have stopped at that, but I'll never know for sure. Collier's muscle men pulled me off before I could do permanent damage."
"Do you honestly think you would have killed him?" Colleen asked. She sat with her arms wrapped around her pulled-in knees, her cheek resting on top.
"Maybe."
"That is total bullshit." Colleen didn't move, but her eyes narrowed. "You had your chance to take him out. Twice. You barely did more than dirty his rich-boy clothes. The third time you vented. It's understandable. But murder? Please."
"My fists punching the smug expression off Collier's face felt damn good."
"I'll bet." Colleen shook her head. "I know Collier. I'm afraid the smug came back. Tenfold."
"He came to court. Everyday. Smirking."
"You were railroaded."
"I was guilty."
Colleen turned her head until she looked out on the lake.
"Money can do so much good—in the right hands. Collier's father used his to make certain you paid for his son's crime." She frowned. "It's like a slight of hand trick. The magician draws the attention of his audience one way, distracting from what is really happening. That is what Judge Langley did."
"I was the distraction?"
"Exactly. Collier beat his wife. He started the
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