Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1)(3)

Memphis loved company as much as she generally loved life. So now Memphis was in throes of delight.

I thought this as my heart kept racing, faster and faster. Soon, my body would need to move, sprint through town to keep up or it’d fly out of my chest.

“Is everything okay?” I asked Ozzie and he studied me.

“Maybe we should go sit down in your living room,” he suggested and it was my turn to study him but my heart only raced faster.

Then I nodded and moved, leading the way to the living room. I threw out an arm to the furniture there and Memphis did a little twirl, waiting for one of us to be seated so she could jump on one of our laps and be adorable.

“Please, Kia, sit,” Ozzie muttered, I studied him again, took in a deep breath and sat on the edge of the couch.

Ozzie sat in an armchair facing me, also on the edge.

Memphis jumped into his lap.

Ozzie started petting the dog but he did this distractedly, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Ozzie,” I whispered, my heart beating so fast I could feel it in my throat.

“You know Milo Cloverfield, darlin’?” he asked.

Oh God.

Oh God.

I knew where this was headed because I not only knew Milo Cloverfield (because everyone knew Milo), I knew who he was married to.

“Yes,” I answered and it was less than a whisper. It was a breath.

Ozzie held my eyes. Then he closed his tight. Then he turned his head away and my eyes dropped at a movement I caught. I saw that he was petting Memphis with one hand; the other one had formed a fist.

My gaze shot back to his when I sensed his head turning again and I held my breath.

“Honey, I hate to tell you all this but I’ll go fast, get it done, all right?”

I nodded, let out my breath then sucked it in again.

Memphis yapped, finally feeling the vibe slice into her cotton candy world.

Ozzie ignored the dog and got down to it.

“I’m sorry to say, darlin’, that Coot was seein’ Vanessa Cloverfield on the sly.”

I knew it.

I knew it.

My husband was a sick bastard but now I knew just how sick. No wonder he got off on sex these days like he did. He was screwing Vanessa then coming home and screwing me.

The big man.

The head cheese.

He hadn’t been that in years and he was loving it.

God, what a dick!

I let my breath out, clenched my teeth and wondered when I would be able to walk out of high school.

Jeez, Cooter was an ass**le, he was washed up, he was out-of-shape and still, stupid, silly, jealous, grasping Vanessa Lockhart Cloverfield clearly stopped at nothing to get him.

Well, she could have him.

I just needed to figure out how to give him to her. I’d tried leaving six times. I’d failed. And the way I failed, Cooter finally taught me not to try again.

But f**k this shit.

“Kia,” Ozzie called and I focused on him.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Honey, Milo found out.”

Uh-oh.

Milo was a hothead, everyone knew that.

“And?” I whispered.

“And, he went to the Heartmeadow Motel with his shotgun and, Kia, honey,” he paused, pulled in breath and finished, “he used it.”

My body froze, every inch of it including my eyes which were wide open.

“Coot’s dead, darlin’,” Ozzie whispered and that was when I started hyperventilating.

Then I breathed, “What?”

“Coot’s dead. Milo shot him, clocked Vanessa with the butt of his gun and then called it in himself.”

That was…

It was…

“That’s crazy,” I said softly. “Why would Milo do that?”

“’Cause he’s got a short fuse, he loves his wife, he couldn’t bear the idea of her steppin’ out on him and he lost it. He also ain’t too smart but he’s smart enough to know he ain’t so he didn’t bother runnin’ ‘cause he knows he’ll be caught.”

I had no reply to this. Any of it.

I couldn’t think.

I could barely breathe.

Ozzie stared at me.

Then he called, “Kia?”

I blinked and my body started.

Then it hit me what he said.

Milo Cloverfield, who was normally a pretty fun-loving guy, good to have around, good for a laugh but definitely he could lose it, had shot my husband dead with a shotgun.

“Where?” I suddenly blurted.

“Pardon?” Ozzie asked.

“Where did Milo shoot him?” I asked and Ozzie’s stare got more intense.

“At the motel,” Ozzie answered and I shook my head.

“No, I mean, where on his body?”

That’s when his face closed down and he said quietly, “Honey, not sure –”

“Where, Ozzie?”

Ozzie held my eyes. Then he sighed. Then he said, still talking quietly, “Got him one side of the head.”

Closed casket then.

“Kia, you all right?” Ozzie asked.

Was I all right?

I thought about it.

I sat in my living room with furniture Cooter picked and carpeting Cooter picked in a house Cooter picked in a subdivision Cooter picked with Ozzie sitting in an armchair petting a strangely quiet but watchful (and her eyes were on me) dog that Cooter picked, none of which I liked, (except the dog but only secretly) and I thought about this.