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Chapter 1

Quinn heaved the last cardboard box from her father’s attic onto the old far she wasn’t allergic to dust or she’d be dying right now Quinn was glad to be al out her childhood home

Ait takes to tie up the loose ends of fifty-five years of life After her mom suddenly died of an aneurysm when Quinn elve, her father had no choice but to quit the Marines to care for his daughter Even though he never said it out loud, Quinn’s dad blauilt to try and control her, to make her have the future he wanted her to have Instead, she left for Texas to go to college at eighteen and only saw her father a few more times before he died

And ended up with Travis Well done, Quinn

Wiping her broith the hem of the tattered old T-shirt she found in one of the rickety dressers, Quinn took a pitcher of sweet tea out of the refrigerator and poured herself a fresh glass over ice She mindlessly stared out the kitchen hile she drank, watching people on boats zipping around on the lake

The box sat on the table behind her, nagging at Quinn to co out the junk, the clothes, the furniture… that was easy, but the memories? Those were the hardest to deal with and the ones she avoided the longest Sighing, Quinn put the elass in the sink and pulled up a chair Carefully, she opened the flaps to peek inside, cowering as if it es This box would be the worst, saved for last for just that reason

Spying her baby book, Quinn shook her head “Forget it,” she whispered under her breath, choking back a sob

Quinn shoved the flaps down, closing the door on Annette Quinn Wallace’s childhood Picking the box up with a grunt, she stoe door and unceremoniously dropped it into the bed of Mack’s old pickup truck Avoiding it a little longer wouldn’t kill anyone She would deal with the box of photo albuht now, it was time to deal with the other loose ends in her life, namely Travis and Rick

After a quick shower to rid herself of the cobwebs and grier seat She was only keeping a few things from the house, photos, her dad’s rand else had been taken away by an estate coent said to leave behind to stage the house It would go on theand a paint job

Dread hung heavy inside Quinn as she turned the truck onto the highway, going south The closer she got to Atlanta, the worse the thick, aching feeling in her sto a word six weeks ago, no note, no reason for leaving, nothing She’d up and disappeared in the ht after the best sex she’d ever experienced, not that she had much to compare it to

It was a terrible thing to do to Rick, for sure, but Quinn had known she needed to leave before shedeclaration that she, and he, wasn’t ready for She had to get her life in order before she could give that trust to hiift from him

Quinn wondered how Rick would react when she returned to Sanctunore her? Mack said he would keep her receptionist job for her while she took care of some personal business He also proone Mack understood her need for privacy She was almost positive Mack knew that her real name was Annie and he never said a word to anyone Without a phone or a paper trail, there was no way Rick could find her unless he dug deep So deep

Armed with brand new cell phone, Quinn made her very first call on it to tell to Mack expect her at work in two days Mack conveniently didn’t tell her what she should expect when she arrived

“Goddamn it, Rick! You passed all your psych evals so I sent you back out in the field Was that a mistake?”

Mack’s furious expression let Rick know that he was not amused with how his last operation went down Honestly, Rick thought Mack’s head er

“You al died on my watch, Rick! I won’t have that shit on my conscious If you aren’t field ready then it’s your responsibility to fucking tell me”

Rick sat anxiously in Mack’s office, the stack of paperwork on the olderto tip sideways and scatter onto the floor every time the he slammed his fist down

“I’m fine, Chief I don’t knohat happened out there”

“Bullshit! You didn’t follow protocol and it alot you killed If you’re intent on suicide, then do it on your own ti your family to tell them you died in some bullshit fake plane crash or overseas “car accident” because you screwed up on a mission!”

Mack’s face was beet red by the ti out Rick’s ass Rick bolted to his feet, knowing he was being dis told

“Yes sir”

He turned to go when Mack spoke again, the one froht you should know”

Rick’s entire body stiffened, his hand hovering over the doorknob Saying nothing, he opened the door and walked out