Prologue

She had burned and rebirth in his arms this night. She knew that this was a mistake. Giant mistake, but she loved him so much and for so long that she did not care. His arms held her tightly, his eyes burned her body and her soul. His beautiful, sad hazel eyes…

'I love you…' she whispered.

'I love you too…' he whispered back.

She thought that this night was the beginning of something new and beautiful in her life. She had him. Finally - she had him… She was badly mistaken. When she woke up in the next morning, there was not any sign of him. She thought that all this was a dream… Then her eyes dropped at the small blots of blood over her sheets. It was not a dream. It was real.

'Peter?' she said with harsh voice and stood up from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her bare body.

'Peter is gone, Claire!' she jumped from his voice. He was standing at the doorframe. She turned around to meet his hazel eyes, same as Peter. No, they were colder than Peter.

'H-how… you…' she gulped painfully staring at her biological father.

'How dare you two do this? Under my roof…!' Nathan rushed and grabbed her elbow. Claire flinched away from his touch. She licked her lips and her eyes widened.

'What are you going to do with him?' her voice was barely a whisper. Nathan squeezed her tightly and his eyes were killing her. Despite her scare, Claire did not blink.

'Him? You always think about him, do you? You came here to be with him, not with your family!' he was furious.

'He is my family!' Claire could not deny it. She was going to lie if she had told the opposite.

'He is your uncle, Claire! Your uncle! Did you even think about that? My brother!' Nathan pushed her and she fell on the bed with hair covered her eyes. She reached trembled hand and flipped out the golden curls.

'I love him!' she sounded so sure…

'Love!' Nathan spat the word.

'He loves me too!'

'He is gone Claire!' Nathan came close and bent over her. 'Face it!'

'G-gone? Where?' she felt sharp pain, cut through her body.

'I don't know! And I don't care! Mother talked to him and he left the mansion!'

'I have to find him!' Claire jumped from the bed, but Nathan pushed her back.

'No! You are not going anywhere! You're going to dress properly and continue your life without him! He is not coming back!'

'You can't stop me!' Claire said stubbornly.

'You are seventeen! I am your legal guardian! I can stop you!' Nathan said and grabbed her wrist. 'You'll pick a college and you'll forget him!'

'No!' she yelled painfully. 'You can't do that! Please, I love him…'

Then he hit her. Claire felt the sharp pain from his hand. She grabbed her red cheek and her eyes filled with tears. Nobody had hit her… not even her father. Nathan was furious.

'I told you – forget him! He is not part of this family! Not anymore! Do you understand?'

Claire shook her head, refusing to believe all this. Why he had left her? Why he just left?

'We're going to hide this! No one will ever know!' Nathan shook his hand as if hurt him. 'Who would've thought that my own daughter turned out to be a slut?'

He threw her one final look and walked out from her bedroom, slamming the door behind. Claire flinched of this sound. Then she laid back on the bed and curled up. She sobbed, holding her face.

'Why you leave me Peter?' her voice lost in the pillows. They still smelled like him.

Las Vegas, Nevada, 16 months later

The young man sat on the bar. He wore black. It reflected his soul. He did not deserve more. He was a terrible man. A really terrible man. He didn't deserve forgiveness.

'Whiskey!' he ordered with low harsh voice. 'Make it a double!'

The bartender slide him one glass. He downed it in one gulp.

'Why don't you just give me the bottle?' the young man murmured.

A couple of hours later, he left the bar and walked down the street. His walk was unsure. His thoughts wandering around the woman he just could not forget. The love of his life… He knew that she was forbidden for him. Why? What a stupid cosmic joke! She was his niece…

They had saved the world… Again! They fought against evil and were happy after that. He and she… He had kissed her and she had told him that she loved him. She had loved him all along…

'You're late!' Peter jerked his head to see the man, who was waiting for him on the dark alley. He turned right and went straight over to him.

'Do you have it?' Peter asked with his voice still thick from the alcohol.

'You have the money?' his dealer asked him.

Peter liked his lips and handed him a thick wad of banknotes.

'Here!' he practically shoved them in his hand.

The man smiled ironically and gave him a paper bag.

'Everything is here! First class…'

'Bye' Peter twirled around, hurried to his apartment.

The building where he had lived for 16 months, was dirty and far away from the shine of the city. He did not know his neighbors. He had not spoken with anyone here since he had arrived. His eyes closed from the pain that cut through his heart. Peter shook his head and prepared for himself his next fix. The pain from the needle was short and soon he felt the long awaited relief. His body lightened. He leaned on his bed and saw her silhouette over him. She smiled and Peter wanted to cry…

Odessa, Texas

Claire tied her chocolate-brown hair in one ponytail and walked out from the kitchen. Her shift had just started.

'I'm here, Barb! You can go!' she said to her colleague and wrapped the apron over her waist.

'Thanks Claire! Bye!' the young girl, with golden hair waved and walked out from the 'Burn Toast Diner'.

'Hey!' she just took her last gulp from her coffee, when one well-known voice cut through her mind. She turned around and smiled at the young blond man, walking straight towards her. 'Looks like, we're on the same shift!'

'Hey, Andy!' Claire watched him as he sat beside her. She would bet that Andy had done that on purpose. He liked her. She could see that in his eyes. She also liked him, but only as a friend. Nobody could compare with… Claire shook her head and looked at him. 'Looks like it!'

'I was thinking…' he said unsure and she was already knew what his next words would be. 'Maybe we should hang out after work sometime… You know… drink coffee…'

'You know I can't!' Claire shook her head again.

'But why?' Andy insisted and she saw disappointment in his eyes. He was a good man and probably she would like him if it weren't for Peter. There he had sneaked into her thoughts… again! She could not help herself… Just couldn't…

'I have to go home and took care for some things.' She said quietly.

'You're such a reticent person, Claire! It won't hurt if you talk with somebody sometimes!' Andy said and Claire read only care in his eyes. They were blue, not hazel. She shook her head again and bit her lip. 'Who is it? Who hurts you so much?' he asked quietly covering her hand, but Claire quickly pulled hers back.

'He was… the best man I've ever known! My… hero…' her voice was full of pain.

'What happened?' Andy insisted, but just then, Claire saw her first client sitting at the table by the door. She released her breath with relief. Peter was not an object of her conversations. Not with Andy… or anyone else. She kept him hidden in her heart … only for her. Now, she could not forget him, even if she had wanted to. Nobody here knew her secret love… Nobody knew her secret…

Claire put her fake smile on her lips and walked to her first client.

'Can I help you?' she asked politely, could not see the man behind the Menu.

'I think you can!' he pulled down the menu and she froze almost dropping her notebook and her pen.

'You can't take him from me!' she said harshly. 'I'm old enough! You can't…'

'I'm not here for him!' Nathan stared at the waiter uniform his daughter was wearing. 'Look at you! You missed your chance to have everything you wanted just because…'

'Why are you here?' Claire asked uncertainly.

'I need your help…'