lly was wa

Owen, he finally realized-so this

reluctant sadness and helplessness-he could

gen

how she'd b

d stubbed out his cigarette i

teps slowed for a second-he'd

up. No way I'm g

ming pressure from this stranger walking by. He glanced at the man-clean-cut,

e from Draycott, Owen defin

ve a fleeting glance and walk

-too striking. Perfect looks, even s

embered what Charisse ha

someone

a cab, nearly shouting at the driver to

lier, she'd gotten a c

in critica

y been rushed into emergency surgery. Her aunt Clai

was fine earlier today! How did i

avoiding hers. "It wa

ded like a pu

rich off the shady business years ago, and even though he'd cleaned things up si

ney-absolute nightmares. Thuggish, violent, and a few

er family had take

nterest had ballooned to something massive. With Cl

gain? That what made my da

this time..." Claire's v

. "Clayton said... he wants to marry you. If you agree, he'll w

ice shot up. "His son's ove

ow, clearly uncomforta

ease don't tell me you said yes."Claire froze, panicking as she

ally had

the debt, Aunt Claire. Was that really some

, you didn't see those people. They had a knife to m

ing a girl like you can do at this point? You've struggled for so long, has anything actually changed? No! You working part-time

sse cut her off, her voice fla

k I wanted you to marry some old guy in his fifties? But what else can we do? It's Clayton we're t

n what?" Charisse's voice

y'd be in touc

e before she finally said, "Alrig

your

ith him. You

e times to say somethi

ng against the cold hospital wall like

mom. Her parents welcomed both her aunt and infant cousin into the

fter her mom passed when she was seventeen, Aunt Claire became the closest thing t

l helped them out. But Charisse could feel it-things

ard-outside of her da

sly scrolled through her contacts,

was found near Clearstone River at 7 p.m. A com

hed the page, the c

basically become code f