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Authors: Alexia Adams
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nightmare.”
“I had imagined such a thing happening for so long that when it did, I didn’t feel anything.”
“And now?”
“Now, I feel it all.”
Chapter 6
Erik rubbed his chest as his cousin at the bank gave him an update over the phone. Analise’s revelation two days ago about her fiancé’s death had left him unnerved. Faced with such trauma, his present course of action seemed childish.
I’m doing this for Karen.
But the tragedy of his sister’s passing no longer had the same motivating force it once had.
“Erik?” His cousin’s voice brought him back to the present.
“Yes, thanks, Grace. You’ve been really helpful.”
“You know I can get into a lot of trouble for this, don’t you? Bank records are supposed to be confidential.”
“I know a good lawyer,” he replied.
“Just keep me out of it.”
He snapped his notebook shut. “Understood.”
“See you at the party.”
“Yeah.” He disconnected the call and lay back on his bed. He should’ve been elated. His plan was so close to success. Instead, he felt oddly hollow. Picking up the photo of Analise that he’d taken from his sister’s bedroom, he stared at her beautiful face. The picture was ten years old, yet Analise’s incredible eyes were still the same. Eyes that had seen the worst of the world. He wanted to show her the best.
Still, what he’d come to Manitoba to do was almost complete. The man who had seduced his sister and then so publicly denounced her, pushing her to suicide, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Erik had carefully engineered Ian MacEwan’s downfall. Ian was about to get his just desserts.
It had taken him two years and countless rounds of beer to eventually loosen tongues and uncover the truth about Karen’s last days. It seemed the high school jocks had a pact to see how many girls they could bed before graduation. Analise had been their ultimate target. When she hadn’t shown up for the final year-end party, Ian had decided that her best friend, Karen, would do.
The next day, when Karen, thinking they were now a couple, sat next to Ian in the cafeteria, he had told the truth. In fact, Ian had said, if he hadn’t been so drunk, he would never have been able to stomach banging her. Humiliated and heartbroken, Karen had raced home after school, refusing to talk to anyone. Then Analise had found her best friend’s body in the barn. And all their lives had been broken.
Grabbing his phone and wallet from the dresser, Erik left the room. His mother called out as he opened the screen door.
“Where are you going, Erik?”
“To see Analise. Don’t wait up.” After yesterday, he didn’t have the patience to deal with his mother. He found her constant clinging almost unbearable. No wonder Analise steered clear of her as much as possible.
“It’s only ten in the morning. Are you planning on staying away all day?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll call you if I won’t be home tonight.” Before he could close the driver’s door, his mother was there.
“I thought we could spend the day together,” she said. He could already smell alcohol on her breath. He’d tried to hide it all, but obviously she had a secret stash.
If only she would recognize she had a problem and seek treatment. Until then, there wasn’t a lot he could do to help her. He forced his voice to remain gentle. “We spent the whole day together yesterday. You kept me so busy cleaning up after the party, I didn’t get to see my fiancée.” And missing Analise had become a physical pain. Which didn’t bode well for when they parted.
If
they parted, his heart amended. Damn optimistic heart.
“I haven’t seen my son in a year and a half. I think the least you can do is spend some time with me.” His mother’s whining grated on his already taut nerves. He’d done his best to be patient, slipping her glasses of water between drinks. He needed a break.
“I love Analise. I want to be with her. I’ll try to convince her to come
“I had imagined such a thing happening for so long that when it did, I didn’t feel anything.”
“And now?”
“Now, I feel it all.”
Chapter 6
Erik rubbed his chest as his cousin at the bank gave him an update over the phone. Analise’s revelation two days ago about her fiancé’s death had left him unnerved. Faced with such trauma, his present course of action seemed childish.
I’m doing this for Karen.
But the tragedy of his sister’s passing no longer had the same motivating force it once had.
“Erik?” His cousin’s voice brought him back to the present.
“Yes, thanks, Grace. You’ve been really helpful.”
“You know I can get into a lot of trouble for this, don’t you? Bank records are supposed to be confidential.”
“I know a good lawyer,” he replied.
“Just keep me out of it.”
He snapped his notebook shut. “Understood.”
“See you at the party.”
“Yeah.” He disconnected the call and lay back on his bed. He should’ve been elated. His plan was so close to success. Instead, he felt oddly hollow. Picking up the photo of Analise that he’d taken from his sister’s bedroom, he stared at her beautiful face. The picture was ten years old, yet Analise’s incredible eyes were still the same. Eyes that had seen the worst of the world. He wanted to show her the best.
Still, what he’d come to Manitoba to do was almost complete. The man who had seduced his sister and then so publicly denounced her, pushing her to suicide, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Erik had carefully engineered Ian MacEwan’s downfall. Ian was about to get his just desserts.
It had taken him two years and countless rounds of beer to eventually loosen tongues and uncover the truth about Karen’s last days. It seemed the high school jocks had a pact to see how many girls they could bed before graduation. Analise had been their ultimate target. When she hadn’t shown up for the final year-end party, Ian had decided that her best friend, Karen, would do.
The next day, when Karen, thinking they were now a couple, sat next to Ian in the cafeteria, he had told the truth. In fact, Ian had said, if he hadn’t been so drunk, he would never have been able to stomach banging her. Humiliated and heartbroken, Karen had raced home after school, refusing to talk to anyone. Then Analise had found her best friend’s body in the barn. And all their lives had been broken.
Grabbing his phone and wallet from the dresser, Erik left the room. His mother called out as he opened the screen door.
“Where are you going, Erik?”
“To see Analise. Don’t wait up.” After yesterday, he didn’t have the patience to deal with his mother. He found her constant clinging almost unbearable. No wonder Analise steered clear of her as much as possible.
“It’s only ten in the morning. Are you planning on staying away all day?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll call you if I won’t be home tonight.” Before he could close the driver’s door, his mother was there.
“I thought we could spend the day together,” she said. He could already smell alcohol on her breath. He’d tried to hide it all, but obviously she had a secret stash.
If only she would recognize she had a problem and seek treatment. Until then, there wasn’t a lot he could do to help her. He forced his voice to remain gentle. “We spent the whole day together yesterday. You kept me so busy cleaning up after the party, I didn’t get to see my fiancée.” And missing Analise had become a physical pain. Which didn’t bode well for when they parted.
If
they parted, his heart amended. Damn optimistic heart.
“I haven’t seen my son in a year and a half. I think the least you can do is spend some time with me.” His mother’s whining grated on his already taut nerves. He’d done his best to be patient, slipping her glasses of water between drinks. He needed a break.
“I love Analise. I want to be with her. I’ll try to convince her to come
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