Chapter 34
She turned the key in the lock with shaky hands.
Fingers raked through her messy auburn locks while she toed off her heels and padded across the living room.
She pulled back the curtains slowly. Gazing down at the street floors and floors below.
Harmony was dead this time of night.
She raised a hand to her cheek, surprised to still find traces of tears. From earlier.
Amanda and Antonio…
They were searching for proof.
Proof that Alistair Crane was behind the disappearance of Martin Fitzgerald.
And all their search had yielded thus far…
Suspicion.
Terrible suspicion.
Of murder.
And awful revelations.
Alistair Crane wasn't the only evil in the Crane family.
She sighed as her fingers traced the imaginary cracks in the glass window.
Her life was slowly splintering apart already.
She didn't need this, she thought. Biting back a sob.
She gasped when she saw his reflection. Staring back at her. Concern written plainly on his features.
"Gwen," he whispered as he stood.
She met him in the middle of the room and raised teary blue eyes to his. "Don't," she shook her head. "Don't…just hold me. Please," she requested in a small voice.
He said nothing. Just wrapped his arms around her in a protective cocoon.
And held on.
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She watched the smoke from his cigarette as it swirled around him. Wafting up into the brisk night air.
The waves teased and lapped at their feet, and the moon bathed the sands in a blue glow.
"Do you think we should have told her?" he asked. Breaking the lingering silence that'd held long after Gwen had left them in a haze of emotion.
She cocked her head to the side and studied his handsome features in the moonlight. "She was already so upset…"
"Well," he began. Pausing to take another drag on the slim white stick. "I think tales of murder and abuse are nightmarish enough. She'll find out soon enough," he sighed as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"Her entire life…it's all been one big lie…"
"Tonight was just the tip of the iceberg," he reminded her as he ground the cigarette butt under his shoe, and its embers slowly died out.
"Welcome to the family…Gwen," Amanda murmured as she trod across the shifting sand.
Antonio watched her figure fade to nothing in the darkness. Listening for the rumble of her car engine coming to life before he turned back to the rolling surf.
Oh, what a family it was.
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Julian blended into the shadows.
Silent.
His dark eyes shirked away from the constant surveillance of the wall of monitors. Landing on the antique desktop.
Zoning in on the crumpled piece of paper.
"Father…"
Two sets of glittering eyes, different in color, but alike in their deadness, coldness turned on him.
But only one voice spoke.
"The problem is taken care of. For now."
The tiny flame flared at the match's tip, quickly swallowing up the sheet. Not leaving so much as an ash.
"And the other…"
"Later. We have more important issues to attend to," he said coolly. Carefully removing the black leather gloves from each finger.
The drawer was noiseless as he pulled it open and tucked the gloves safely away.
A yellow object rolled forward, and Julian's eyes grew darker at the sight.
"And Adam…get rid of this."
A black fist closed around the object, eliciting a faint squeak.
Blue eyes laughed at him.
He was going to be sick.
She turned the key in the lock with shaky hands.
Fingers raked through her messy auburn locks while she toed off her heels and padded across the living room.
She pulled back the curtains slowly. Gazing down at the street floors and floors below.
Harmony was dead this time of night.
She raised a hand to her cheek, surprised to still find traces of tears. From earlier.
Amanda and Antonio…
They were searching for proof.
Proof that Alistair Crane was behind the disappearance of Martin Fitzgerald.
And all their search had yielded thus far…
Suspicion.
Terrible suspicion.
Of murder.
And awful revelations.
Alistair Crane wasn't the only evil in the Crane family.
She sighed as her fingers traced the imaginary cracks in the glass window.
Her life was slowly splintering apart already.
She didn't need this, she thought. Biting back a sob.
She gasped when she saw his reflection. Staring back at her. Concern written plainly on his features.
"Gwen," he whispered as he stood.
She met him in the middle of the room and raised teary blue eyes to his. "Don't," she shook her head. "Don't…just hold me. Please," she requested in a small voice.
He said nothing. Just wrapped his arms around her in a protective cocoon.
And held on.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
She watched the smoke from his cigarette as it swirled around him. Wafting up into the brisk night air.
The waves teased and lapped at their feet, and the moon bathed the sands in a blue glow.
"Do you think we should have told her?" he asked. Breaking the lingering silence that'd held long after Gwen had left them in a haze of emotion.
She cocked her head to the side and studied his handsome features in the moonlight. "She was already so upset…"
"Well," he began. Pausing to take another drag on the slim white stick. "I think tales of murder and abuse are nightmarish enough. She'll find out soon enough," he sighed as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"Her entire life…it's all been one big lie…"
"Tonight was just the tip of the iceberg," he reminded her as he ground the cigarette butt under his shoe, and its embers slowly died out.
"Welcome to the family…Gwen," Amanda murmured as she trod across the shifting sand.
Antonio watched her figure fade to nothing in the darkness. Listening for the rumble of her car engine coming to life before he turned back to the rolling surf.
Oh, what a family it was.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Julian blended into the shadows.
Silent.
His dark eyes shirked away from the constant surveillance of the wall of monitors. Landing on the antique desktop.
Zoning in on the crumpled piece of paper.
"Father…"
Two sets of glittering eyes, different in color, but alike in their deadness, coldness turned on him.
But only one voice spoke.
"The problem is taken care of. For now."
The tiny flame flared at the match's tip, quickly swallowing up the sheet. Not leaving so much as an ash.
"And the other…"
"Later. We have more important issues to attend to," he said coolly. Carefully removing the black leather gloves from each finger.
The drawer was noiseless as he pulled it open and tucked the gloves safely away.
A yellow object rolled forward, and Julian's eyes grew darker at the sight.
"And Adam…get rid of this."
A black fist closed around the object, eliciting a faint squeak.
Blue eyes laughed at him.
He was going to be sick.