Page 10 of Fatal Vision

With the dog filling up his hands, Colton had limited means to take down Bouncer, and although he certainly could, even with Sal in tow, he didn’t want to beat up anyone in here, since that would certainly not help him find Shelby. He’d end up outside on his ass.

Or in jail.

Although Suit seemed ripe for a fight…

Especially when he stepped in front of Bouncer. “Wait.”

Bouncer stopped, as did Colton. Salisbury bared his teeth again.

Suit glared at the dog, then back at Colton. “This man is wanted in conjunction with a federal investigation. I’ll take it from here.”

What the hell was he talking about? “You must have me confused with someone else,” Colton said, shaking off Bouncer’s beefy grip. “I’m just looking for my wife.”

“Ex-wife.”

The sound of Shelby’s voice cut through the chaos. Colton nearly lost his hold on Sal. Slowly he turned.

She was short, all right, but his gaze still had to drop a few feet to find her.

Wheelchair.

His gut did a somersault.

But after the chair registered, all he saw was her.

Beautiful, outspoken, amazing Shelby.

Her hair was braided on one side, the other side cropped short. That side had been shaved off for the operation three months ago and was now growing out. She wore elegant diamond studs, three rows going up each earlobe and her left sporting a tiny silver loop at the top.

Devoid of makeup, her blue eyes stood out big over the dark shadows underneath them. The overhead lights made her skin sallow and reflected off the minute diamond stud in her right nostril.

“And I’mnotshort,” she added, her soft drawl like sugar on the tongue. “Although I will cop to the big attitude.”

Her slight smile trembled and Colton fell to his knees in front of her. All he could do was stare.

Eighteen months. Eighteen months and six days to be exact since their divorce.God, how I’ve missed you. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, beauty queen?”

“I look like hell and you know it. ’Bout time you got here, Bells. Where have you been?”

He wanted to reach out and touch her, stroke her face, kiss the scar he could see over her ear through the short hair. “I only found out you were awake last night. I drove straight from DC as soon as I got word.”

Salisbury eagerly tried to lick her knee. She reached out and let the dog smell her hand, then scratched him under his chin. “That’s an eighteen-hour drive. How’d you get here so fast?”

He gave her his signature smirk. “I may have broken a few speed limit laws.”

She returned the smile, but her eyes were sad. “I’ve been asking for you for weeks.”

He swallowed hard. “No one told me, Shel. I would’ve never left your side in the first place if Jack hadn’t forced me out.”

She studied him. “You didn’t leave because…?”

“I would never leave you, Shel. You know that.”

Colton suddenly felt a claw-like hand latch onto his shoulder. Salisbury jerked around and growled at the same time.

Suit dug his fingers into Colton’s muscle. “Sorry to break up this little reunion, but you need to come with me.”

Shelby’s eyes turned fierce. “Leave him alone, Theo.”