Chapter 4

Olivia recovered quickly.

The official story was that Marcus, her heroic fiancé, had braved the flames to save her.

A few days later, Ethan reported for his driving duties.

His burns were hidden under his long-sleeved uniform shirt, but the pain was constant.

Olivia was cool, distant. She thanked Marcus again in front of Ethan.

As Ethan reached to open her car door, he winced. A sharp pain shot up his arm.

Olivia's sharp eyes missed nothing.

"What's wrong with your arm, Ethan?"

"Nothing."

"Let me see it." Her voice was imperious.

Reluctantly, he rolled up his sleeve.

The fresh, angry red burns were stark against his skin.

Olivia gasped. For a moment, something flickered in her eyes. Concern?

Then it was gone, replaced by suspicion.

"How did this happen?"

Ethan couldn't tell her the truth. It would unravel everything.

He had to stick to the lie, the lie that protected her from the full, devastating truth about her mother, the lie that had defined his life for five years.

"It was... a scuffle," he mumbled, looking away. "Down by the shelter where I'm staying. Some guys tried to take my money. The Grand Canyon money."

It was a pathetic lie, and he knew it.

Olivia's face hardened. The brief flicker of concern vanished, replaced by disgust.

"A scuffle? You're a magnet for trouble, Ethan. Always have been. And a liar."

She reached into her purse, pulled out a wad of cash, and threw it at him.

"Go see a doctor. And try not to bleed on my upholstery."

Her cruelty was a physical blow.

He picked up the money, his face impassive.

"Yes, Ms. Hayes."

Marcus watched them, his eyes narrowed.

He was becoming increasingly possessive of Olivia, increasingly paranoid about any attention she paid Ethan, even if it was negative.

He decided Ethan needed to be removed, permanently.

A few days later, Olivia asked Ethan to pick up her car from a dealership after a service. She would meet him there.

Marcus knew the plan.

As Ethan drove Olivia's sedan slowly through the dealership's parking garage, looking for a spot, Marcus stepped out from behind a concrete pillar.

Directly in front of the car.

Ethan braked instantly. The car barely tapped Marcus's legs.

But Marcus let out a theatrical scream.

"He hit me! Ethan tried to run me over!"

He crumpled to the ground, clutching his knee, moaning in agony.

Olivia arrived just then, walking from the dealership office.

She saw Marcus on the ground. She heard his accusations.

The memory of her mother. The car. The death.

It all came rushing back, fueled by Marcus's cries.

"Ethan, you bastard!" she shrieked, her face contorted with rage.

She believed Marcus. She believed Ethan was a reckless, dangerous monster.

She ran to her other car, parked nearby.

She jumped in, started the engine, and in a moment of blind fury, she swerved.

She sideswiped the car Ethan was standing beside, the one he'd just parked.

The impact sent him sprawling.

His head cracked against the concrete.

Pain exploded through his ribs.

Then, blackness.