Page 154 of The Colour of Revenge

The three of them nod, but tension radiates from them like a storm about to break.

Carefully, I open the door—just enough to peek out.

“Carina!”

Doctor Morgan shoves the door open before I can stop her. Her normally sleek brown bob is disheveled, and her face is bare. Unlike her typical pencil skirt and blouse, she's wearing joggers and a t-shirt. I've never seen her look so disorganised.

She doesn’t even register the guys standing behind me. Her frantic gaze locks onto mine.

“I’ve been texting you like crazy! You haven’t checked in in months! You just disappeared! Then I saw the news conference—what the fuck is going on?”

She finally stops to inhale—then sees them.

Sees Nate. The blood splattered across his clothes. His face.

Her wide eyes snap back to me. “What—”

She doesn’t wait for an answer before bolting past me.

A bloodcurdling scream shatters the air.

I wince.

She’s found the bodies.

No one moves. We’re all frozen, locked in place, the reality of what comes next slamming into us.

My body unfreezes first. I move toward her, casting a glance over my shoulder at the three men still rooted in place.

“Stay here. Let me talk to her.”

Without waiting for a reply, I follow the sharp intake of her breaths until I find her.

Doctor Morgan stands rigid, horror carved into her face as she takes in the gruesome scene. My father and his men—butchered. Arranged like trophies.

“I can explain,” I start, but the words feel hollow. I don’t even know how to explain this to myself.

I step towards her. To comfort her? To stop her from running? I don’t know. But her body trembles as she backs away.

“What did you do?” she whispers, almost as if talking to herself. Then louder: “What did you do?”

“I… You know what he did to me.” My excuse feels weak, even to myself. Now that my justice is done, I no longer know if what I did was worth it. If by taking their lives, I’ve lost myself in the process.

“You… I was supposed to help you heal from your trauma, not create it.” Her voice cracks. “I failed.”

I restrain myself from rushing forward. “No!” My voice is too loud in the otherwise quiet space. The only other sound coming from Doctor Morgan’s sharp breaths. “You didn’t fail me. You have no idea how much you helped me.”

I shake my head.

“I had so much rage. So much anger. I wanted—no needed—justice. I never would have got it if I didn’t go after it myself.”

I let my words wash over me. Let them seep into my soul.

I don’t regret my actions. I just don’t know where to go from here.

Doctor Morgan’s face twists, like she’s battling internally with herself.

“I should go to the police.”