Love, Honor, and Betray Roby, Lawson (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📖

felt sorry about it, and yes, he felt partly responsible for Pa­tricia’s actions.

“So, you see,” Tom had continued, “you ruined my life, and it took me years to get it back on track. First, I lost my wifeto you, no matter how brief your affair was, then, I lost her to other men, and finally to death. And I almost lost my sonto that biking accident he was in. All because you were lowdown enough to sleep with my wife, in my house, in my bed.”

“Like I said, Tom, I’m sorry and if there is something I can do. Anything. I will.”

“No, there’s nothing you can do for me. But over the last two weeks, I’ve done a whole lot for you. I’ve slept with that trampwife of yours twice and then invited your son to come see his no-good mother at the motel she met me at on Saturday.”

“What?” Curtis had said, not wanting to believe any of this.

“That’s right, and he was hurt beyond imagination. I saw the kind of hurt in your son’s eyes that I saw in my son’s eyes yearsago. But that still wasn’t enough to make me feel better about any of this. You know, they always say revenge is best servedcold, so when we hang up, I think you’ll see what I mean. Oh, and tell your wife she should have answered my calls this afternoon.I’ve never liked being ignored, and this is the result.”

“So, you actually sought out my wife just to pay me back?”

“No, see, that’s the real beauty in all of this. Maybe even divine intervention, because I didn’t go looking for her. Shejust so happened to show up at the club on a night I was there, and I recognized her. Knew her right away, and that’s whenthe wheels started spinning in my head. I saw the perfect opportunity to trash your seamless little world just like you didmine, and I took it. And I must say, I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.”

Curtis had no words to speak, so he didn’t.

“So, you don’t have anything to say?” Tom had asked.

“Just that I had no idea I’d caused you so much pain or that your wife had been killed.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t, but at any rate, Reverend Black…you go straight to hell,” he’d said and hung up.

Curtis remembered how he’d felt completely numb, how he would have taken back every one of those times he’d slept with Tom’swife if he could. But his numbness had only worsened when his phone had beeped and those five photos had come through. Curtishad been staggered by all of them, but for some reason, the two pictures Tom had taken of him and Charlotte together had hurthim the worst. Even now, Curtis still couldn’t shake the images from his mind. In one, she’d been lying on her side with herback to him and with no space in between them; and in the other she’d been cuddled up close, facing him with her head on hischest like she was in love with him. She’d looked as though she’d been sleeping like a baby and had experienced the time ofher life, and this had destroyed Curtis’s spirit. It had damaged his soul and cut him to the core.

Curtis blinked back more tears, put the gear into Drive, and sped out into the main street. He drove all of two seconds beforebright lights blinded him, and another vehicle crashed into the side of his SUV.

Chapter 44

I’m here for my husband,” Charlotte said, rushing to the ER reception desk. “Curtis Black.”

“Oh, yes, Mrs. Black,” the young woman said. “They just brought him in by ambulance not long ago, so I’ll get someone to comeout and speak to you.”

“Is it possible for me to go back there with him?”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to eventually, but please just give me a second to get one of our ER folks.”

Charlotte looked around the waiting area, then back at the other receptionists, and then down the hallway. This just couldn’tbe real, not with all that she and Curtis were already dealing with.

“Mrs. Black?” a thirty-something man said.

“Yes,” she said and he shook her hand.

“I’m Jason Carthell, one of the physician’s assistants on staff here, and if you could just step over here, I’ll give youan update on your husband.”

“Thank you,” she said as they walked a few feet away.

“Your husband was in a pretty serious car accident, and right now the doctors are working to get him stabilized. He’s suffereda number of injuries, but once we can get a series of tests done, we’ll have a lot more details for you.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“As I said, we’re working on him right now, and of course, we’ll do all we can. I’m sorry I don’t have more information, butI promise we’ll keep you updated as often as possible.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte said.

“You’re quite welcome.” He keyed in a code on the electronic door lock, then reentered the examination room area.

Charlotte went over to a row of chairs, took a seat, and realized she still needed to call Janine. She’d called Matthew assoon as the police had rung the doorbell to tell her the news, but he hadn’t answered. She hadn’t been shocked, obviously,not with him still not speaking to her, so she’d resorted to sending him a text message instead. Then, during her drive tothe hospital, she’d called Alicia and her parents.

Another twenty minutes or so passed. Charlotte signed all the medical consent and insurance authorization forms one of thestaff had brought her. Then Matthew and Janine hurried inside together.

“Mom, what happened to Dad?” Matthew said, walking over to her.

“He was in a pretty bad accident.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. It happened right outside the subdivision entrance and once the police ran his license plate number for hisaddress, they came to inform me.”

“Is he okay?”

“I don’t know, sweetie,” she said, crying. “They’re in with him now, and hopefully, we’ll know something soon.”

Janine sat down next to her best friend and