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Her eyes roll. “She was married toRoneyfor a few years when they moved to a new state so he could start his career, and she didn’t know anyone there.”

“Where was she from?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She waves me off again. “Roney’s job was very stressful, and sometimes he’d bring his work home with him and take it out on Clara.”

“Oh.” I arch my brow and look at her. “Is this a dark story?”

“What did you want? A story about unicorns?” She shakes her head. “This went on for a couple of years, Roney taking his shit out on his wife.”

“Do you like dark stories?”

“Clara,” she says between clenched teeth, ignoring my interference, “had no one to turn to, and Roney was getting worse. She feared for her life. One day, when Clara thought she couldn’t take it anymore, she considered ending her own life and started to plot it in her head. She didn’t see any other way to break free of him. Then Roney’s partner, Johnny, showed up at Clara’s home.”

“Johnny?”

“I like the name Johnny,” she says with a half shrug.

My lips quirk. “I guess it’s better than what you get for Christmas if you’ve been bad all year.”

“Exactly.” She giggles, and I like the sound of it. “Johnny had seen the signs. He knew what his partner was doing to his wife, and Johnny liked Clara. Over the years, they’d become friends. Johnny thought she was a good person, but his hands were tied. He couldn’t out his partner. It’s not what people in his position do without repercussions. So he offered Clara the only out he could. One that would keep her alive. See, Johnny had an eccentric and wealthy sister, Katrina, who lived in Florida, but she had ALS. You know the disease.”

“Yeah, I know what it is. It’s terrible.”

“Yes. It is. Well, Johnny offered Clara to go and live with his sister. Be Katrina’s caregiver. See her through to the end. Clara was a caring and giving person, and she saw no other way out, so she agreed.”

“That was nice of Johnny. Although, he should’ve done something about that piece of shit partner.”

“Yes. Everyone can’t be a hero, Cole. Now, do you want to hear the rest of the story?”

“I do.” I hold my tight smile, watching the road as her glare heats my neck.

“Johnny bought Clara a bus ticket and drove her to the station. Clara lived with Katrina for four years. She saw Katrina through to the end as agreed. When Katrina passed away, she left Clara her home and a sizeable trust.”

“Did Roney ever come looking for her?”

“No.”

There must be more to the story than this. “Well, did Clara remarry?”

“No.”

“Okay, so what’d she do with the sizeable trust?”

“She gives it to women who need it.” She pauses. “Women like Amanda.”

My eyes flash to hers. “Willa?”

Her head drops.

“That wasn’t your story to tell.” Hearing Willa’s story felt strange and deceiving. I’m not sure she wants me or anyone else to know what got her to where she is today. It makes sense, though. The need to help these women. She’s sacrificed her life to the cause. I didn’t think she ever had someone special in her life. Kids. A guy. Anyone. None that I recall. Then again, what we do is personal, but we never get personal. I think Brett told her our story, but I’ve never discussed it with Willa. Hell, I didn’t even know Harper existed until a couple of days ago. Still, it feels like I’ve known her all my life.

Odd how shit happens.

It’s fucked up.

“Why not? She’s my aunt. I lived with her for ten years.”

“You lived with Willa?” Huh. I guess Willa did have someone special in her life.

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