Mirabella Parks is a middle school teacher who has worked hard to distance herself from her family's obsession with power, reputation, and pride. Haunted by a dark past, she strives to chart her own path, away from their influence.
Ryan Martins, a dedicated police officer, has carried the weight of his sister Julie's unsolved hit-and-run for seventeen years. Now working for the same department that failed to solve the case, Ryan is determined to seek justice. But when he suspects Mira's family may be involved, he's willing to cross dangerous lines to uncover the truth, even if it risks his career.
When Ryan meets Mira, their undeniable attraction complicates things. Both are haunted by their pasts, but together they might find the strength to confront their families’ lies. Or, will they fall into the same destructive patterns that have defined their lives?
Excerpt:
The sun teeters on the edge of the horizon, darkness threatening to consume the space around me, reminding me that light always gives way to darkness.
One moment is all it takes, for all the light to drain from the atmosphere. In just a few minutes, our worlds can come crashing down, the brightness, happiness, and ignorance sucked away, robbed from us. A body can bleed out in just two to six minutes. Did you know that?
That’s what happened to Julie’s body. Her life, stolen in an instant.
The sliver of the sun disappears before me, a black abyss enveloping the horizon. And there it is: darkness. Within seconds.
I need a flashlight. I sigh. “Where’s my phone?” I grumble, patting down my pants pockets. “Just a flask?”
I lift the flask to my lips, the last few drops trickling into my mouth.
I hope I have more.
Two beams of light illuminate the field before me like a haven of hope. I turn my head back toward my friend Greg, who’s patiently waiting for me in his truck.
I glance toward Julie’s grave. Even though I know she can’t hear me, I speak anyway.
“Thanks,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Hey, Jules. I, uh… I got some news for you.” A deep breath steadies me as I continue. “So, your case reopened. Can you believe it? After all these years.”
I glance around the cemetery, Greg’s high beams against the graves cast long shadows across the neatly kept grounds. “I received an apology letter from the bastard who did this to you. I swear, Jules, I will find him. And when I do…” I clench my fists, cracking my knuckles. “I’ll make him pay.”
Shifting my weight between my feet, I stumble. Goddamnit. Too much to drink, not enough to dull the ache.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been here more often. You know how life gets. But I promise you, I’m doing everything I can to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
The words taste both sweet and off-putting on my tongue, a mixture of determination and regret.
“Actually, I’ve decided to become a detective. Just need to finish a few more years as an officer and get my master’s,” I confess, feeling the weight of my ambition settle on my shoulders. “I want to help others who are going through what we went through. You know, give them some closure.” The closure we never got.
I stare at the ground, tracing the patterns in the grass. “I miss you so much, Jules. You have no idea.” The wind picks up, blowing my hair and biting my skin, as if in response to my admission. It’s as if the universe itself mourns your loss. I’m so sorry, Jules. I whisper to the empty night. It’s stupid, talking like you can hear me. But I can’t help it.
Closing my eyes, I try to picture Julie’s smile once again, but it’s like trying to grasp a fading dream. The image that was once etched into my mind has become twisted and distorted over time, just like this damning never-ending search for justice.
I reopen my eyes, my vision struggling to make sense of the blurry outline of her cross. The grass surrounding it is overgrown, the once lively green depleted to a barren brown. How could I have let this happen? What type of police officer am I? What kind of brother?”
“Damnit,” I mutter. Beating myself up won’t help. Actions will. I remind myself. “Anyway.” I shake my head. “I should get going. But I promise, I won’t let you down. I’ll find the person who did this to you, and I’ll make sure they pay for what they’ve done.”
Approaching Greg’s truck, his window descends with a screech, a whoosh of cigarette smoke escaping and engulfing my senses. The cigarette scent reminds me of my dad. Though unreliable and shifty, he’s still my father, biologically. And he would be forever—whether I like it or not.
When I open the door, it creaks open, the hinges buckling like they’re about to snap off, and I slide into the passenger seat. The worn leather, a testament to countless miles traveled.
Greg gives me an affirmative nod, taking a long drag of his cigarette before putting the truck in gear.
As we descend into the night, my eyes watch the rear-view mirror, Julie’s sad excuse for a memorial, barely visible in the dark, shrinking until it’s nothing but a speck.
