Page 58 (1/2)

Haven gasped as a picture of Carlo flashed on the screen, followed by footage of several others Victims, they said, dead when police arrived She stared in shockCarlo was dead? She was so stunned she almost didn’t catch the next words

"DeMarco’s funeral is scheduled for tomorrow"

Funeral

One of the hed exasperatedly "Perfect exaun control"

"No way," the othereach other"

A loud sob escaped Haven’s throat when it hit her and she quickly brought her hands up to cover herher head furiously Funeral? Dr DeMarco was dead?

"Hayden?" Kelsey’s voice rang out "Are you okay?"

Haven tried to respond, but as soon as she uncovered her h the diner She jus barely able to withstand her weight She pushed past her friend as she ran for the door and bolted down the street to her apartment Kelsey yelled after Haven but she didn’t turn around, fuainst the door, she closed her eyes and tried to get a grip on herself The words of the news report continually ran through her h she couldn’t make sense of it How could he be dead? What happened?

After her breathing was under control, she opened her eyes again and wiped the tears fro the so nue"

Haven pushed back the nerves that always accompanied the call The words escaped her lips, the burn in her chest dulling as another sensation settled in Through the shock, through the horror and fear, she felt the resolve

"I’o"

Haven left her apart of clothes She locked up before e, taking the elevator up to the third tier She spotted the black Mazda parked precisely where she had left it al the paint concealed the scratches still adorning the top

It took nearly every penny she had in her pocket to pay the parking fees and fill up the gas tank for her trip

Her heart ached as she drove out of the city, thoughts of Dr DeMarco infiltrating her mind Unlike so many times before, when the incident where he had punished her would spring to ood iven her the picture of her hter, and the look of pride on his face when Doiven her and how he had handed over his keys so she could learn to drive He hadn’t even been angry when it was returned with a scratch

It seemed as if more than a year’s worth of memories flooded Haven, and with theh her mind, ones he had spoken down by the river in Durante

"I already lost my mom to this life," he’d said "I don’t want to lose him, too"

Dominic had made Haven see that it was okay to want more in life He had helped her face her worst fear It was only fair she would be there to help him face his

39

Haven sat in the car along the curb, her sto as she stared at the blue door of the old house She had only seen it once before, sitting on the bottom step with Carmine by her side More than a year had somehow passed since that daymore than a year since she had laid eyes on him She wondered if he would be happy to see her, or if he would be angry she caot out of the car and made her way across the street She tried to push back her anxiety as she stepped on the porch, but before she could even knock her name was called from down the street Her vision blurred, her heart rate skyrocketing as she turned around, watching Corrado’s leisurely approach "Sir"

"I’lad to see you’re well" He eyed her intently, a serious expression hardening his face Haven i for her to be there

Panic crept through her at the prospect that she could be in danger "I didn’t know if I should come"

"It was nice of you to show up," he said as he stepped closer "I apologize for not calling By the time I had a chance, you’d informed me of your intention to come, so I assumed someone else told you"

"I saw it on the news," she said quietly "They said there was a massacre"

Corrado scoffed at the word "It was hardly a massacre If it was, no one would’ve survived, but Carasped, horrified "He was there?"

"Yes," Corrado said "And as you can probably guess, he isn’t taking it very well After Maura’sti with his father’s death the same way"

"Oh God" The burn flared in her chest as her eyes filled with tears "He saw them both die"