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And why on earthwas she naked? Why did scrapes and bruises seem to cover every inch of the skin that wasn’t shielded beneath the protection of the blanket? Strangest of all, why didn’t she seem worried about spending the night in a man’s house, while her father…
Fear stabbed through her chest, shattering that invisible barrier.Her father.
“I’ll make you some tea.” Sonia shot to her feet. “And how about some eggs?”
Before Loren could reply, she retrieved a pan from the stove and scraped a heaping pile of food onto a plate. Minutes later, Loren found herself served with a full meal, complete with two strips of bacon.
“Eat up,” Sonia urged, reclaiming a stool. “You must be starving.”
Loren felt way too uneasy to be hungry—though, Sonia seemed to possess the same unspoken authority McGoven did. A fork was already in her hand, and she shoveled a helping of eggs into her mouth before she could help it.
She chewed woodenly, inspecting the large kitchen all the while. A few things stuck out to her. The fridge was devoid of any decoration or random clutter—even her father kept a magnet from one of his favorite beer companies on the front of theirs.
Moving on, the sink was spotless. The center island was clear, save for her plate and Sonia’s tea. Even the countertops didn’t hold anything of significance other than a potted plant and a coffee maker.
No empty beer bottles, crushed soda cans, or the remnants of a late-night poker party. It reminded Loren of one of those fancy show kitchens in a magazine. Perfect, but oddly uninviting.Unlivedin.
“Your food’s getting cold.”
At the prompt, Loren choked down another mouthful of eggs, but as she swallowed, Sonia’s cheerful expression faded.
“Loren, how much do you remember? About last night?” Anxiety colored her voice. She was worried.
“Last night?” Loren set her fork aside and mulled over the question. She remembered sleeping in her own bed…only to be awoken by—
Suddenly, she gripped the counter, trembling from head to toe.
“Are you alright?”
Loren shook her head, fighting to suck in air.Remember.Once the memories started, it was like watching a train wreck—she couldn’t look away.
She had been dragged out of bed by her father. Thrown down the stairs.
Beaten.
Her father chased her into the kitchen, she grabbed a knife, and…
That was where her recollections ended like a movie cut short. The rest was blank. Empty.
Erased?
But he’s dead,a part of her whispered. She knew that much.
“I think… I’m an orphan.” Her voice sounded flat. Empty. The despair she would have imagined feeling was absent. It could have been a normal day.
No.The thought prickled at the back of her mind like an unreachable itch.Think! This is wrong.
“Loren…” Sonia suddenly reached across the table and grasped her hand. “I’m so sorry about your father. They think it was a robbery gone wrong, or at least that’s what Bill told me.”
A robbery. The only hole in that theory was that her father didn’t have anything worth stealing, let alone killing him for. Though, she could just be in denial.
His death meant that she was truly alone. An orphan at eighteen.
“Bill thinks that it’s better if you stay here,” Sonia added. “At least, for now—”
“Why?” Loren blurted. She should have been in a shelter. Or, perhaps, the interrogation room of the police station. After all, she’d been in this position before…
“He was the one who found you. In the woods.” Sonia eyed the wall behind Loren’s head as she spoke—anywhere but her face.“He thinks that maybe the person who killed your father attacked you too. It might have been revenge over his gambling debts. You’ll be safer here. He’s cleared it with the station and the school as well. Everyone agrees this is the best situation.”
