Killian felt out of sorts, on edge. Sometimes, it felt like ants were under his skin. In the first few weeks, it was just a mild irritation, this crawling sensation. Earlier today, alone on the hill, while Evangeline was with her Irishman, Killian was scratching his back against the bark of a tree, until he could feel the blood wetting his shirt. When he came back inside, the ants were quiet, and Killian could cook dinner.

Now, as Evangeline and John explained to him that they were going back to Llanview, leaving him alone again, on another hill, Killian felt as if he could leap across the room and strangle McBain to the floor. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned away.

"Killian, are you alright?" Evangeline asked, walking over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, causing Evangeline to jump a little herself. John took a step forward, stopping in his tracks when Evangeline put a hand up.

"Killian, what's wrong? Talk to me," she said, softly, turning her head to give John a worried look.

Sitting in a nearby chair, still not facing them, Killian put his head between his knees. He wanted the sensation to pass. He needed it to pass. When he heard Evangeline gasp, he knew the blood on his back was coming through his shirt again.

"You can't leave me alone again," Killian said.

Evangeline lifted the back of Killian's shirt. He wanted to tell her not to touch him. He wanted to scream it, as a matter of fact. But, she was his lifesaver. He needed her. He concentrated on that fact.

"What happened to you?" John asked, holding up Killian's shirt while Evangeline went to wet a cloth to clean the deep scratches.

Killian reached up to take the shirt from John's hand. He pulled it off himself.

"Don't touch me, brother. Not right now. It makes me want to kill you," Killian said through his teeth.

John stepped back. "What about Evangeline? How do you feel about her?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"She's alright," Killian said.

Evangeline came over and put a bowl of hot water on the table and dipped the cloth into the water. "OK, this is going to hurt a little bit," she said, gently.

Killian closed his eyes and straightened his back when the steaming, wet cloth was pressed into his wounds. He couldn't help himself and got up and walked around. He put his palms up to his eyes, trying to stop what was coming next. He couldn't stop, and he punched the wall. And, he punched it again. And again, until John grabbed him from behind and pulled him back.

He was bucking against John's hold, like the horses he had broken in as a teenager on his family's farm. Killian could hear Evangeline telling him to stop, that everything would be alright, but she sounded so far away.

"Tell me how to help you," John said, pushing Killian against the wall.

"I don't know how," Killian said, twisting an arm free and raising his fist up in the air.

"Killian, no," Evangeline screamed.

Killian looked into her eyes, which were wide with fear. He could feel his heart pumping with a hard, erratic rhythm. He lowered his arm. The feeling was passing. Evangeline, his heart-broken angel, had stopped the madness boiling his brother. His knees buckled slightly, and John helped him get to a chair.

"How did they get to you here?" John asked rhetorically.

Evangeline kneeled before Killian and put her arms around his neck. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder, still propping himself up with elbows on knees. She drew back and held his face in her hands, searching his sea-green eyes for whatever was amiss with him.

"We're going to find out who is trying to hurt you? And we're going to clear your name," Evangeline said, her eyes wetting with his. "I promise you that you'll never be alone again."

_____________________________________________________________________

When they returned to Llanview, John called Michael in advance and told him to prepare a private room where he could treat Killian at the hospital. While Michael looked Killian over, John and Evangeline met with Antonio in the law offices he and Evangeline once shared.

Antonio's crutches were leaning in a corner, neglected, as Antonio hopped around the office on one leg to greet Evangeline with a big hug and John with a strong handshake.

"I know you're not going to like this Eva, but I made a motion to list myself as Killian's new counsel of record. I figured while you were away, I could move forward with the new evidence and get Killian off the hook," Antonio said, handing her copies of the motion filed.

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Antonio," she said to John and Antonio's surprise.

When she sat down and ran her hands over her lips, John knew how worried she really was. Antonio wrinkled his eyebrows and looked at John for an explanation. John put his hand on her shoulder.

"Killian's sick again. Whoever's trying to hurt him got to him again somehow," John said, feeling Evangeline tense up.

Evangeline cleared the lump of sadness in her throat. "I know this has something to do with Rajani. I can feel it. Whoever is trying to punish Killian doesn't know he's innocent," she said.

"Well, I'm presenting the new evidence next week about Haver and the likelihood that Rajani was one of his earlier murder victims," Antonio said, gauging the reaction John had to the mention of Haver's name before he continued. "John, I had Bo compare the police and autopsy reports on Killian's wife with those of Haver's Llanview victims. There are significant similarities. I think it's an open and shut case."

"Good. Hopefully, we can keep him safe for the week until the evidence is presented," John said, taking the seat beside Evangeline.

"Don't say hopefully," she said. "We will keep him safe. We have to."

"We have to keep you safe, too," John said.

Antonio perched on the edge of his desk. He reached forward and touched Evangeline on the arm. "Did someone come after you again?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Antonio, I need to know why you didn't tell me about the Alcazar angle in all of this," John said, abruptly. "Did he get to you somehow?"

"John!" Evangeline said sharply.

Antonio could feel the heat of his ire rising. "What do you mean 'get to me?'"

"You know what I mean," John said, his voice low.

"There is nothing to the Alcazar angle, as you put it, except that it was his plane," Antonio said, his voice trembling with anger.

"Did he ever contact anybody about the plane crashing? Did you look that up? I would have investigated myself, but I didn't know it was his plane," John said.

Evangeline put her hand on John's arm and squeezed to stop him. He was letting his resentment of Alcazar get between him and Antonio. "John, stop it. If Antonio had heard from Lorenzo, he would have told us," she said.

"You should know that by now," Antonio added.

John turned around to face the door, when he saw Antonio's expression change. There was a tall, dark-haired man with a serious expression on his face. John knew the face from archival surveillance footage.

"Lorenzo," Evangeline whispered.

"Speak of the devil," John said.