**Chapter Twenty**

Corrin's eyes fluttered as they adjusted to the dark. She twisted her head and read the alarm clock on the bedside table closest to her. 5.30pm. She yawned a bit then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes to see well. She rolled over the other way and was greeted with Dom's hardened features. His face, when he slept, contorted into a look of hard concentration. She ran her finger over his forehead and down the length of his cheek, barely touching his caramel skin. She smiled, thankful to have him at that moment, with her through all this. His arm rested on her waist while they had slept, not moving an inch. His body emanated a comfortable heat that would keep anyone warm during the coldest of nights. His breathing, slow and steady, sang her to sleep when she thought she'd just doze. She leaned in and planted the softest kiss on his lips in an effort to not wake him. But that failed.

As she removed her lips from his a smile spread across his face. "What was that for?" he said, almost in a whisper.

She smiled and leaned closer to him. "You just looked so adorable lying there I just had to take advantage of one innocent kiss." She said, leaning in and giving him another.

He returned the kiss with more passion than intended, pulling her closer and stroking her hair as they entwined. He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him as their kiss intensified. The touch of her skin against his drove him wild, and the feel of her hair brushing against his neck tickled to the depths of him.

She pulled up and sat, legs across his chest as they both stared at each other. She smiled, as she had a tendency of doing.

"Now that is a way to wake up." He said smiling seductively at her. She bent down and they began to kiss again, his hands now on her waist pulling her down.

BANG BANG BANG! The doorbell sounded, people shouted, fists banged against the door.

"What the hell?" they both said at the same time. Corrin quickly slid off his chest as he also got up. They both ran down the stairs in their pyjama's and opened the door to find Letty, Leon, Jesse and Vince looking pretty tired on the porch.

"What the hell do you call this?" Dom boomed as they all ran inside and into the living room.

Corrin rushed in after them. "Have you heard anything? Did you go to the hospital?"

"Naw girl, we ain't been up there." Vince said rubbing Corrin's back.

"But Letty found something that could be of interest." Jesse said pushing Letty in front of him.

Dom motioned for them all to sit as he turned the heater on to keep everyone comfortable. "What'd you find Letty?" He was a bit annoyed that him and Corrin were interrupted but if this were good news, it wouldn't matter.

Letty cleared her throat. "I'm gonna make us some coffee. You guys want?" she asked, feeling the dry raspiness in the back of her throat.

They all agreed so she went off to put the jug on. "Letty, you wanna hand?" Corrin asked as she got up and walked into the kitchen with Letty.

"So, you told him yet?" Letty asked, taking the cups out of the cupboard.

Corrin froze in mid-stance as she pulled the coffee tin out. "Not really. Just hasn't been the right time. Too much on both our minds."

Letty nodded. "Fair enough." She threw her arm around Corrin while the jug boiled. "How you holdin' up girl?"

Corrin smiled, feeling a lot relaxed since her sleep. "Good, I can manage. I just hope Brian can do the same." She looked down at the floor and remembered that she had told herself no more tears.

"That's the way girl. None of us can do nothing but be there. It's all up to them." The jug whistled and Letty made the six cups of coffee for all of them.

They walked back into the lounge and had a seat where there was one spare. Corrin sat in the armchair closest to the fire across the room from Dom.

"Well, to start off, don't get angry with me Dom for doing what I did but I had to ease my mind at least."

Dom's eyes tightened knowing that he may not like what she was gonna say.

"I went to the police station to find out more about what happened and I spoke to Tanner. Brian's ex superior. I saw the wreckage of both cars. Mia's was a complete total! And the other car was fine. Just a little hood damage but nothing else. The damn thing was a four wheel drive for gods sake!" she took a sip then continued. "While I sat in the car of the second car I noticed it was empty. Hard not to notice it really but yeah. Anyway, I looked through everything and it was totally empty. But when I flipped the shade down on the drivers side this fell out." She threw the necklace to Dom who looked it over. "That's police evidence there but they don't know about it. There was no driver for the car Dom. No plates, no rego, no driver."

Dom rubbed his fingers over the front of the cross. It looked familiar but then again, how many people owned one of these.

"Yo bro, it's got some initials on it too." Leon said flipping the necklace over and pointing the letters out.

Dominic read the letters out loud, a large frown on his face. "C M? What the hell does that stand for? Is that some kinda jeweller?"
Corrin looked up as soon as she heard those initials. She ran over and yanked the chain out of Dom's hand.
"What's wrong Corrin?" he asked as he stood beside her.

She couldn't believe it. She absolutely couldn't believe it. Her mouth tried to speak but no words were coming out. Finally she said it. "This is mine."

Everybody looked at her in disbelief. This was just way too much coincidence. "How can it be yours?" Dom asked stepping closer to her.

She looked up, fear in her eyes. "Corrin Mandrake. That's what the initials stand for. I lost this the night of." She never finished her sentence.

Dom looked confused, but at least he knew her last name now. "The night of what?"

**Flashback**

"Thought you could run from me. Huh?" he said as he began tugging at his belt.

Corrin tried to break free but she was pinned. "HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP M-" she screamed before he shoved a hand over her mouth.

"Scream one more time bitch and I'll rip your throat out." He yanked at the silver cross around her neck and pulled it free.

**End of Flashback**

Her head rolled as she remembered that Mack had taken her necklace that night. "SHIT!" she screamed.