Every bone felt crushed. Pain everywhere, all at once.
Blood surged up my throat. I tried to scream but no sound came.
Through the haze, a dark figure approached, backlit by the headlights.
"Next time, don't mess with people you can't afford to cross."
A pause. Then, quieter:
"We killed your father. We can kill you too."
Footsteps faded into nothing.
I lay on the frozen ground, unable to move.
The phone buzzed in my pocket.
With every ounce of strength I had left, I pressed answer.
Sandra's voice purred through the speaker—syrupy, intimate, dripping with desire.
"Ryan... I miss you so much. Every cell in my body aches for you..."
His voice came back low and rough. "Sandra. These past five years, I've been a walking corpse. Seeing you again—that's when I finally started living."
Muffled groans. The rustle of fabric.
"What about Noreen?" Sandra's tone sharpened. "Didn't you say she'd always be your wife?"
"If her father hadn't died like that—if she hadn't been so hellbent on dragging you through the courts—I would've divorced her years ago."
"Shh, baby. Don't talk about boring people." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Tonight, I'm going to love you until you can't breathe..."