Poison: The Seaclusion Series, Book One

Prologue He was late, but his tension started to fade when her apartment came into view. It was such a simple thing to park in the grocery store parking lot across the street, and walk the short distance through the green belt behind her apartment complex. Calmness filled him. He was close to her. He could breathe now. He stood along the edge of the woods, facing her apartment. He smiled in anticipation; she should be home any minute. He looked across the short strip of lawn that separated her first floor apartment from him. Now, only a few steps separated them. And soon, oh so soon, he’d take those steps and she’d pay for betraying him, and then, finally he’d forgive her, and they could continue on with their lives together. It was foggy, good weather for him because he could stand there almost invisible; no hiding from prying neighbors’ eyes. He waited for an hour. No lights came on in her apartment. She was always home by now, where was she? His right eye twitched as his tension mounted. Where was she? Who was she with? And why wasn’t she here? He didn’t like not knowing where she was. She should have left her job and come straight home. He stepped onto the squishy grass; his black shoes sank into the mucky lawn. He took the few strides across the yard to her small patio. He looked into the darkened slider as he reached for the door handle. But his hand stopped dead when he realized the apartment, her apartment, was empty. Completely, starkly empty. The buzz roared in his ears as pressure built painfully in his chest and rose up his throat, choking him. She was gone. They were gone. She’d left him. He slammed his fist into the glass sliding door. He jerked back in overwhelming pain as agony vibrated through his hand. The glass didn’t break. He wasn’t strong enough. He kicked it. Nothing. His breathing was ragged, his heart rate frantic. He leaned heavily into the slider, trying to regain control, slow his breathing and think. He had to think. But how could she do this to him? How could she do this to them? He should have realized it; he couldn’t trust her, and now he couldn’t forgive her. She’d have to pay for this; and all he had to do was take the one thing that mattered most, the very same thing that had driven him and his wife apart: their son.