I have one destination in mind. The control box to lower the door and lock myself inside.
When the door touches the floor, I finally allow myself to breathe.
Mistake.
The familiar scent of motor oil, brake dust, and exhaust fills my nostrils, and a pang of longing hits me hard enough to make my knees wobble.
By force of will alone, I stay upright.
I scan the bodies of the four-wheel drives I was in lust with before, and realize I was wrong.
I can’t do this.
Not today.
Not even a little bit.
I need to get in my Bronco and get the hell out of here as fast as I possibly can before I lose all the ground I’ve gained.
My Bronco is parked facing the overhead door on the opposite side of the warehouse. I sprint for it, ignoring the fact that I’m losing the battle with my tears. One after another, they hit the floor as I dodge mirrors and bumpers.
I wrap my hand around the door handle and yank it open, climbing inside like I’m being chased by snarling wolves ...or memories I can’t face.
I throw myself into the seat and close my eyes, congratulating myself on a narrow escape from letting him break me again.
Until I open my eyes and see a piece of paper on the passenger seat with familiar bold handwriting.
I’m sorry. It had to be this way.
Agony tearsthrough me like the ragged edges of metal.
“Don’t you fucking apologize to me, you coward! How dare you apologize to me!” My scream echoes through the whole warehouse.
I grab the piece of paper, crumpling it in my hand, and shove the door open again.
“You don’t get to apologize for lying to me over and over again andkilling my fucking brother!”
As I scream like a woman possessed by demons she’ll never escape, that moment my world ended comes rushing back in vivid clarity.
One monthand a few days earlier
One moment Kane’s hand is empty, and the next, he’s holding a gun and it’s pointed at Rafe.
He pulls the trigger.
Chaos explodes as a deafening shot echoes in the lobby of the airport. Everything goes quiet in my mind when I see Rafe grab his chest, a look of shock on his face as the fabric of his suit darkens with blood.
I can’t hear myself screaming.
I can’t hear anything.
Another gunshot shatters every dream I had for the future as my brother’s body jerks again before he collapses, lifeless, on the carpet.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
Blood. So much blood. Everywhere.
“No!” I scream, jerking my head to look at Kane, but his face is expressionless.This isn’t happening.This can’t be happening. I’m making this up.