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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
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  29. 25
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  32. 28
  33. 29
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  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
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  55. 51
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  58. 54
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  75. 71
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  77. 73
  78. 74
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  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
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  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

His own conclusions were unformed. All he knew was that he hadn’t enjoyed a good sleep for five years, and last night...he’d slept through all the hours of darkness. He didn’t understand it. He figured sleeping with someone, anyone, would disturb him. And her, Elle... Even with all the bruises, she was pretty. When he lay down with her, he had been convinced he would doze at best, and every time she turned over or snored or, yes, screamed, he’d be awake. But he didn’t remember a thing until this morning when he woke to sunlight and a woman’s body pressed against his back. He racked it up to too many hours of wakefulness and a helluva exhausting day.

Not that that had ever mattered before...

“I suspect you’ve noticed the eyes,” Brocklebank said.

“It’s hard to miss one blue and one brown.”

“That’s a condition known as heterochromia iridum, fairly common in the animal world, a lot more unusual among humans. It is usually genetic and harmless but can also be an indicator of a physical problem.”

“Possibly a result of strangulation?”

“Or hypothermia. Keep an eye on that, and if there’s any change...keep an eye on it. God, what a pun.” Brocklebank chuckled, shook his head and stepped into the pen of pregnant goats. “Anyway, get her to a physician if you observe a change in the color. As for the other—we all have nightmares, all of us who live through the carnage.” He went back to work examining the weary, waiting mothers.

No. Adam rejected that for Elle. He didn’t want her to suffer forever. She was kind. She was hopeful. She deserved better than a guy who’d tried to kill her, and she deserved better than Adam, a man who had broken apart, never to be healed.

“Trying to find balance between present life and past horrors takes a lot of work.” Dr. Brocklebank glanced back at Adam. “You should attempt that sometime.”

Adam didn’t want to find balance. If he did, who would mourn his dead?

He settled down to wait for Elle to wake up.

13

STEPHEN PENDERGHAST HEARD THE hospital door swing open.

The light tap created by well-made shoes came closer and closer. They stopped beside his bed.

In a low voice, the doctor asked, “Are you the one he’s been waiting for?”

Through the throbbing in his head, Stephen didn’t hear the answer.