Saint Sloan (Saint Sloan #1)(65)

“It wasn’t Darcy. You won’t know her. I met her in PT. She’s a nurse, and she’d do anything for me. I guess I just have that charm about me.”

Charm was one word for it.

“Did you accuse Darcy?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Because that’s funny. I thought you’d forgiven her. You’re a church-type, aren’t you?”

Truthfully, Sloan felt pretty bad about everything she’d thought about Darcy now. Boyd had played them all. Again.

What was the saying? “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Shame on her. Every instinct she’d had screamed that it was Boyd, and she hadn’t trusted it.

Moron.

“How did you get in my house? How did you know everything I was doing?”

He smirked. “I had my ways.”

A few minutes later, Boyd pulled into the overlook at Chapel Falls. The car behind them kept on going. Her only salvation was gone.

Even with the windows rolled up, she could hear the roar of the water falling over the seventy-foot falls. It wasn’t a good feeling. A few security lights were spaced around the parking lot, and a short wooden fence separated the grass from the water.

“Here we are,” Boyd said as he put Aaron’s car in park. He leaned his head back on the seat and rolled it to look at Sloan. “Well, get out and jump.”

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head.

“Oh, come on. What fun are you? Look.” He pulled out a note. “I have your note already written. Everyone thinks you are crazy. They think you made it all up.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Sure they do. They just don’t want to tell you. Everything points to you being crazy or on drugs. Either way, you aren’t all there.”

“Except the text. The one you sent this morning.”

He grabbed the cell from her hand. After a few clicks, he threw it back at her. “What text?”

Did he not think she’d sent it to Detective Morgan? She sure wasn’t going to tell him.

“Come on, Sloan. I don’t have all day.” He pointed the gun at her. “Get out.” Knowing she couldn’t have any sort of defense in the car, she opened the car and got out.

From outside the car, the roar of the Falls was deafening. Boyd pointed toward the fence with his gun, a sign that’s where he wanted her to go.

Sloan hesitated a second then finally complied. Jump into a river or get shot? Which one would she more than likely survive? The river was like a dark pit running beneath her. Black water. Definitely not her favorite thing. Had she told Boyd that? She probably had. He’d always remembered stupid things when it suited him. A long way down.

The trunk slamming made her jump and turn around. Boyd had Aaron with his hands tied and a gag in his mouth. A bloody streak ran from his temple down his cheek. “So here’s the deal, Sloan. We have to finish this. We just do. You think you are an angel. Let’s put it to the test. Jump and see if you fly.”

“You’re crazy,” she yelled.

“I’m not crazy. I’m showing you how wrong your beliefs are. I’m saving you, Sloan. Isn’t that kinder?”

“This is not kind. It’s cruel.” She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she watched Boyd knee Aaron in the stomach. He doubled over on the ground, and the gag stifled his groan.

“Kind. Cruel. No difference.” He shrugged and pointed the gun at her. “Either you jump, or I’ll throw him over the Falls. Simple as that.”

She opened her mouth to tell him where to go when he cut her off.

“Don’t argue. Don’t even think. Just do it. Save us all.”

Sloan looked down at Aaron on the ground, fighting to get the gag out of his mouth. When he finally did, he started yelling at her. “Don’t do it, Sloan! Don’t listen to him. He knows he can’t kill you. He’d be arrested for murder.”

“Oh, hush.” Boyd kicked Aaron in the mouth, causing blood to shoot onto the ground. “Guess you won’t be kissing that much now, will you?”

She wanted to strangle him.

“Your choice. Either you go. Or he does. Simple. Easy. No fuss. No muss.”

“Why are you doing this?” She had never been so mad in her life. How dare this guy do this to her? How dare God allow it!

“How many times do I have to tell you? To show you your God doesn’t exist. To prove you aren’t as saintly as you think. And…” He kicked Aaron again for good measure. More blood oozed from Aaron’s mouth and onto the collar of his white dress shirt. “Because you ruined my life!”

For the first time, Boyd yelled, and Sloan saw her time on earth ending. “You used me. You set me up. And you made everyone hate me. When I woke up in the ICU, I knew you had to pay. I knew it! I didn’t know how until I saw a television show with a waterfall, and I knew it was perfect for you. Saint Sloan, the fallen angel. A nice ring, no?”

“No.” She shook her head. “You think I’m a saint. I’m far from it. I’ve never pretended to be perfect.”

Boyd rolled his eyes and pointed the gun at Aaron’s head. “I’m so tired of this. Either jump or don’t. Your choice.

“You won’t let him live anyway. If I jump or not.”