I cut the thought short. I needed the doctor here, now.

But the physician told me Gretchen had already warned him. She said I'd use jealousy as an excuse to interfere with Cecil's treatment. Under no circumstances was he to follow any order I gave.

Norman's groans were getting worse. I swore under my breath, scooped up my keys, and drove for the nearest hospital myself.

I'd barely merged onto the highway when a cargo truck cut in from the side, matching my speed exactly, locking in on my left.

And ahead of me, a red Ferrari planted itself squarely in my lane.

I caught a glimpse of the driver in the Ferrari's right side mirror. The woman behind the wheel was my wife, Gretchen Frost.

I looked left. Cecil Fox sat high up in the truck's cab, both hands draped lazily over the steering wheel, staring down at me with open provocation in his eyes.

I blinked. Then my vision went red.

Cecil didn't have a single injury on him. So why had Gretchen pulled my doctor away?

Then, without warning—

Gretchen's brake lights flared. She slammed on the brakes, and I had no choice but to decelerate with her.

Norman hunched forward in the backseat, his right hand clutching his chest.

"Clarence Gilbert, my chest feels like it's caving in. How much farther to the hospital?"

His voice was weaker now. Sweat rolled down my temples. "Almost there. Just hold on a little longer."

I grabbed my phone and called Gretchen.

Through the rearview mirror, I watched her glance at the screen. She declined the call without a second's hesitation.

From the truck beside me, Cecil laid on the horn and let out a whoop, dripping with mockery.

I turned my head. Our eyes met. He grinned at me, slow and vicious.

A voice message from my wife buzzed through the phone.

"You love punishing people so much, don't you? Cecil took a wrong turn on a delivery, and you boxed him in and slapped him across the face."

"So what if there was a delay? The company still closed the deal in the end! But you nearly ran him off the road!"

"You like playing highway games? I'm going to show you exactly how it feels!"

Cecil took a wrong turn on a delivery?

That wasn't what happened. Not even close.