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Ari kept his gaze fixed ahead, jaw clenched tight ‘It’s her husband’s funeral I’d have thought it was obvious she’s drowning in grief’ How bitter those words tasted in his mouth Because he knew they were the last e A woht hours before putting her dead husband in the ground?

No, grief didn’t even get a look-in

Whereas he Theos

His gut clenched hard at the reedy in his need to forget, to blank the pain that had eviscerated him with each heartbeat

Turning away fro out on the altar, he followed the trickle of guests who’d started to leave the chapel

‘Are you sure that’s all?’ Sakis demanded ‘I could’ve sworn she totally freaked out only when she saw you’

Ari rounded on him as they exited into dappled sunshine ‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘I don’t know, brother, but she seeht maybe you knew her’

‘I’ve never been to this backwater until today, and I only came because you insisted you couldn’there, anyway?’

‘It was my fault I insisted’ Brianna, his beautiful soon-to-be sister-in-law spoke up ‘I thought, as Lowell’s former employer, Sakis should be here We tried to call you to let you know but your phone was off and the staff at Macdonald Hall said you’d checked out yesterday’

His jaw clenched harder at the reminder

He’d been running a fool’s errand, desperately trying to track down the woht A day and a half, he’d driven up and down the da for the Mini whose red paint was a poor match for the vibrant hair colour of the woet his pain for a few blissful hours

Theos! How could he not have seen that it was all an illusion? They said sexabout the deadly blade of memory and the consequences of a desperate search for oblivion

Bringing his aze away from his brother’s blatant curiosity

‘We’ve paid our respects, now can we get the hell out of here?’ he rasped