“Just give me the Oxy for threehundred.”
“For three hundred, you can haveforty.”
You stupid son of abitch.
He was sick of this, sick of pain, sick of talking. With sixty pills, he could make it a good few days, maybe long enough to finishthis.
He drew out his pistol, put a bullet in the middle of Doc’s surprised face, then grabbed everything he could—bottles of pills, heroin, a bag of weed, a syringe—andran.
19
Mia stared into her coffee, mind and body exhausted. She’d had the nightmare again last night, jerking awake to find herself shaking and sick in the pit of her stomach.Three timesshe’d dreamed she was standing in front of the elevator. Three times she’d seen him in the mirrors and grabbed for a firearm that wasn’t there. Three times, he’d opened fire, bullets hitting her, her blood running inrivulets—
“Mia?”
She jumped, realized Joaquin was talking to her. “Sorry. What did yousay?”
He reached out, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I asked Nate if he could come get us and give us some riding lessons this morning. As soon as he’s back from driving hay out to their herd, he’ll come getus.”
Mia didn’t want to go riding. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to shut her brain off so she could sleep withoutdreaming.
She pushed a smile onto her face. “That soundsfun.”
“Nice try,mi amor. I know you’re not really into the idea, but I think you’ll feel better if you get out of here, get some fresh air, and spend some time withBuckwheat.”
Okay, maybe Joaquin had apoint.
“Isn’t it awful snowy forriding?”
“They have a ridingbarn.”
“A …what?”
“A big-ass barn with nothing but sand for riding indoors. It’s heated, but it’s not very warm. Fairwarning.”
“Wear layers. Got it.” She got up from the breakfast table and went todress.
While Joaquin caught up with his family on their message board, she put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and decided to wash a load of laundry, too, tossing her things in with Joaquin’s. It gave her something to do and kept her mindbusy.
Nate drove up in a big pickup with a snowplow attached to the front just after ten and gave them a ride down to the riding barn, which was exactly as Joaquin had described it—big, full of sand, and cold as a well-digger’sass.
Buckwheat was waiting for them, saddled by one of the ranch hands, who gave Nate the gelding’s reins and tipped his cowboy hat at Mia. “Ma’am.”
“Hey, Mia.” Nate motioned to the horse. “Why don’t you gofirst?”
Mia greeted Buckwheat, petting the velvet of his forehead. “Hey, bigguy.”
The gelding returned her affection with a low whicker, as if he knew she’d had a shitty night and needed abreak.
Mia climbed onto the mounting block. “I don’t have much experience atthis.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Nate checked the saddle. “Put your right foot in the stirrup and swing your left leg over his back. Goodjob.”
From nearby came a clicking sound—Joaquin with hiscamera.
“It looks like you brought the paparazzi,Mia.”
Mia laughed. “He follows meeverywhere.”