yce smelled of expensive lea

ad. Beside her, Alistair had his face turned toward the window. He watched the

e car was thick e

eeded to break the ice. She n

n, right?" Eleanor asked. Her voice

ort, breathy scoff. H

e a Montgomery far better th

through her. Eleanor'

r adoptive father, Arthur Blackwood, tearing the family apart. She remembered being pushed to th

ng the way, the duty had turned into a desperate, b

g ringtone shatte

phone. The one he kept i

screen. There was no caller ID. Just a b

cline it. But something made him stop. He s

e answer

could hear the faint, crack

voice. It was weak, tremb

stai

entire body

lders snapped straight. His jaw locked. The color van

ckles turned stark white. The veins on the

deli

is throat. It sounded lik

heart stop

del

that haunted the halls of their marriage. His first love. T

was sitting inches away from him. H

ice cracking with a frantic, desperate ene

nd came through the

nged forward, slamming his hand against the gl

r roared. "Victor, stop

lt. Victor slammed on the brakes, bringing the massive vehicl

up around

turned to

of the cold indifference he usually showed her. Inste

ered. His voice w

ocess the words. "What? Alistair, we a

id ge

oss her body, his arm brushing roughly against

rural highway blasted int

d so hard she couldn't pull in oxygen. Th

the gravel. She stepped out into the dirt, the thin

n't check if she was safe. He pulle

through the partition. "St. Catalina Hos

orward, raising her h

The tires spun, spitting gravel a

n on the side o

e horizon. Through the tinted rear window, she saw the silhouette of her hus

dried the moisture in her eyes

del

ent moon light

h. It was colder than the air conditioning in the bedroom.