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When Lark entered the waiting room, she knew instantly that there was a problem. She recognized Colleen and her two kids immediately, as well as Colleen’s boyfriend, and Aura. They appeared to be in a heated argument. The only one she really didn’t recognize was the huge, burly man next to Aura.
“You stole my child! I can have you arrested!” Colleen was shrieking at Aura.
“Maybe if you provided a good environment for your child, then she wouldn’t have run away.” Aura retorted.
“What is going on here?” Lark demanded, intervening. “You are all making spectacles of yourselves in front of the entire waiting room and nursing staff!”
At that same moment, a man wearing a pristine blue suit entered the waiting room, holding aloft a tape recorder. He had close-shaven black hair and was of medium height and build. Lark though she recognized him as someone from back in her past and she gave an involuntary shudder at the memory.
“What are you doing here, Eubanks?” Montana growled.
“Whoa. Eubanks? As in Jay Eubanks?” Lark exclaimed, but she got no answer.
“Just collecting more evidence against Miss Saccharine. So you let you child stay with a prostitute with a list of convictions on her record?” Jayson Eubanks asked.
“I didn’t let her!” Colleen disagreed.
“So you just weren’t paying good enough attention to the child then? You were neglecting her?”
“I did no such thing!”
“I’d have to disagree with you there.” Aura contradicted.
“Shut up, Aura! Stay out of this!”
“Oh, I think I’m already in this.”
“This is great feed. Keep arguing.” Jayson encouraged.
Lark ripped the tape recorder from his hand and touched the off button. “Electronics such as CD players, radios, and tape recorders, are not permitted inside this hospital.”
“What are you doing?” Jayson sputtered, looking up at Lark with outrage.
“Following hospital policy. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Montana laughed. “Now who’s in a position of power, Eubanks?”
“I’ll still have DCFS taking away those kids within the hour. I need to make only one call. So don’t mess with me, Skyes. It’s partly your fault that the children are being taken. Well, yours and the neglectful mother’s fault anyway. DCFS can’t have children being watched over by a felon, now can they?” “I am not a felon!”
“What are you talking about?” Colleen demanded. “Montana’s not a felon.”
“He isn’t? Try asking your child?” Jayson asked, gesturing to Margarita. “I’ll bet she knows him better than you.”
Colleen cast a confused glance at Jayson, Montana, and finally Margarita. “Rita?”
Margarita looked like she was bursting to answer Colleen. “Mommy, Montana’s a murderer! He kills people! He’s gonna’ kill you!” Margarita practically shouted.
“That’s ridiculous. Montana, tell him.” Colleen urged.
“Yes, tell me about how you slaughtered your wife and kids.”
“You were married? You had kids?” Colleen exploded. “You never said anything! Now I want to know the truth. Right now.”

All eyes turned to Montana. He took a step back. “It—it’s kind of unbelievable.” He stuttered.
“Try me.” Colleen told him.
“Like I said, I am not a murderer. I just showed up too late. My late wife, Rosaria LaManta, I loved her so much. I still do. Rosaria and I had been married since we were sixteen. We had two kids: Aguacienta Michelle Skyes and Vegas Connor Skyes. Agua, she was eight when it happened and little Vegas, he was only four.