Deadly Payoff by Valerie Hansen

Author:Valerie Hansen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2007-09-16T04:00:00+00:00

EIGHT

Delia had slept poorly after their impromptu pizza party. She wasn’t sure whether her insomnia had been because of all she’d eaten or because of who she’d eaten it with. Whatever the cause, she’d been struggling to stay awake from the moment they’d piled back into the SUV to continue their trip the following morning.

She’d been letting the motion of the car lull her to sleep while Shaun drove in silence. The cessation of motion roused her when he finally pulled up to the iron gates of Westside Medical Retreat and stopped. “Are we there?”

“Looks like it.”

“Umm.” Stretching, she blinked rapidly to focus. Her mouth was dry and her head ached. “Okay,” she said, reaching for a bottle of water to quench her thirst while she braced herself for what was to come. “Let’s go on in.”

“You’re sure you’re ready?”

“No, but I’m going through with this anyway.”

Nodding as if in agreement, he drove past the open gates and followed the winding, tree-lined drive that led to the Tudor-style, brick-and-stone hospital.

Delia’s heart sank the moment they rounded the final corner and she got a good look at the place. It may once have been majestic but it had deteriorated until it was run-down and seedy-looking, just as her sister Bianca had described.

Moss splotched the reddish brick walls, making them appear darker and horribly dingy. The banks of small windows facing the front were multipaned, reminding her of the many-faceted eyes of a predatory insect.

She glanced at Shaun. “This whole place gives me the creeps.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean. Hopefully, the inside is better than the outside.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Shaun brought the SUV to a stop parallel to the dull, beige stone portico denoting the front entrance. Delia shed her seat belt and gripped the door handle.

Shaun made no move to do likewise so she asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Of course.”

“Then I will.”

She had to bite her lip to keep from snapping at him. Between her uneasiness over the present situation and her memories of their conflict and eventual truce the previous evening, she was an emotional wreck.

Still, the last thing she wanted to do was waltz into the mental institution alone to face whatever awaited her. Not only did she crave moral support, she wanted Shaun to provide it. No one else would do. If she’d had a troop of armed superheroes surrounding her, she’d still have wanted Shaun at her side. It was just a bit galling to have to ask him to accompany her.

Delia slung the strap of her purse over her right shoulder and waited for him to circle the SUV before she started toward the massive double doors.

There were no welcome signs posted, no instructions for visitors, nothing but a brass nameplate, Westside Medical Retreat, and an ornate bell with a chain hanging beside the doors.

She sensed, rather than felt, Shaun’s hand at the small of her back and looked to him. “Should we ring?”

He reached to open the door and found it locked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.