Chapter 6 - The Viper in the Family
Reeves fell to his knees on the Persian rug, his hands clasped together in desperate plea. "Arthur! It was Arthur Coleman! He paid for the HVAC installation! He supplied the lead acetate solution from an industrial chemical supplier in Bridgeport!"
"And Rebecca?" Nathan roared, stepping forward and grabbing Reeves by the throat of his expensive wool coat, lifting the silver-haired doctor off the floor with one arm. "What did Arthur do to my wife?!"
Reeves choked, his face turning dark red, his feet dangling uselessly above the rug. "The... the steering column!" Reeves gasped out. "Arthur had a mechanic... disable the electronic stability control on her SUV... during the storm! It wasn't an accident!"
I covered my mouth with both hands, a cold wave of horror washing over me. Nathan's entire body shook with an explosive, apocalyptic rage. He pulled back his right fist, his knuckles turning white, ready to shatter the doctor's jaw.
"Nathan, no!" I screamed, rushing forward and grabbing his raised arm with all my strength. "Don't do it! If you kill him right now, Arthur wins! He'll claim you murdered your doctor in a blind rage, and you'll go to prison for the rest of your life!"
Nathan froze, his fist hovering inches from Reeves's terrified face. His dark eyes turned to look at me, swimming with raw grief, unbearable pain, and three years of accumulated heartbreak.
"He murdered my wife, Emily," Nathan wept, his voice cracking into a ragged, painful sound. "He poisoned my baby boys."
"I know," I whispered, tears streaming down my own face as I held his arm tight against my chest. "I know, Nathan. But Jacob and Jonah need their father alive and free. They don't need a father in a federal prison. Let the police take Reeves. Use his confession to tear Arthur's entire world apart legally."
Nathan stared into my eyes for five long seconds. The lethal storm inside him slowly receded, replaced by a cold, razor-sharp focus.
He dropped Reeves onto the floor like a sack of garbage.
"Vance," Nathan said coldly, without looking back down at the whimpering doctor. "Put him in the cellar under guard. Call State Police Detective Kowalski. Tell him I have the evidence for Rebecca's murder and the attempted assassination of my heirs."
"Right away, Boss," Captain Vance said, dragging Reeves up by his collar and hauling him out through the side door.
Nathan stood alone in the center of the grand office, his chest heaving, his hands trembling. I didn't hesitate. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek against his broad chest.
Nathan stiffened for a fraction of a second, then collapsed into the embrace, burying his face in my hair, holding me so tightly I could feel the powerful beat of his broken heart.
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"Thank you," he whispered into my hair, his hands clutching my back as if I were the only anchor keeping him from drowning in the dark. "Thank you for stopping me, Emily."
"We're going to finish this together, Nathan," I promised softly. "For Rebecca. And for the boys."
