Julia's voice carried surprise. "Joyce? I haven't seen her in ages. I guess she was probably dead."
The mention of my ex-wife drew all eyes to me.
I shrugged with cold indifference. "Who can say? She took a bullet to the arm. Surviving alone out here would be challenging."
In my mind, that irredeemable woman belonged in the depths of hell.
"I'm not so sure," Kayla mused. "The will to live can be remarkably strong. She might be hidden away somewhere, recovering."
Lauren's voice rang out in agreement. "Exactly! A woman like that has the resilience of vermin. She's certainly still alive!"
Though Joyce remained an unresolved concern, we soon abandoned the topic.
The reasoning was simple: if she appeared, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot and end her life.
A corpse posed no threat.
***
The
