Chapter 1
Bethy
He didn’t come home. Once again, he let us down. We married to keep my sister’s daughter safe. We were supposed to be a team, but Joe always wanted more. The more I refused to be a real wife to him the more he disappeared.
This time feels different. He’s been gone for over a month. What was I going to do? Was he dead? A part of me knew he was and with that both elation and disappointment. I need the money he was bringing in and yet I hated his constant touches and lewd comments.
Joe was my one real mistake in life. So many times, I wanted to give him the papers I have stashed in my dresser. I wanted a divorce, I wanted out of this arrangement. I feared he would stop asking and start taking.
I lost everyone when that plane went down and Lilyanna lost her parents. I became an aunt, mother, and grandmother to her all in one fleeting moment. Annulment was an embarrassing option but it seemed it may be my only.
What was I going to do? We couldn’t stay here. If Joe came back and found out what I did, he would kill me. My chest constricted as Lilyanna ran through the house screaming about flying to the moon.
Our finances were slim. I burned through my portion of the inheritance buying this place and putting Lilyanna in a good preschool. I wanted her to have the best this world has to offer considering it took everything from her.
Most of the inheritance went to Lilyanna. Something I refused to touch no matter how desperate we became. How long would it take this place to sell? I needed out of here now.
My heart sunk at the thought of once again uprooting her life. She finally adjusted to this change. Telling her about our family was more difficult than losing them. The quiet house had me jumping to my feet.
I was so lost in myself, I didn’t notice Lily left. Rushing to the door my heart felt ready to burst from my chest. I was a terrible parent. Tears filled my eyes at the thought of losing one more person.
“Lilyanna!”
The scream ripped from my throat painfully. Terror didn’t cover the feelings swamping me in that moment. Lily was talking to some man in jeans, a black T-shirt and a buzzed cut hair style.
The cold that radiated off of him as I stumbled towards the pair was shocking in its intensity. I watched in horror as he stood to his full height. I could tell with each smooth, graceful movement he was very toned.
His eyes black as pitch started deep into mine. Fear wanted to coat me like a second skin. My tongue felt swollen and dry, making words impossible. There was a spark in his eyes followed by shock.
I felt it as if it was my own feelings. An invisible line snapped into place connecting us. I’ve never felt this before. This connection to another human being.
“Beth, I made a new friend!”
Lily’s sweet voice so full of happiness had my eyes straying her way. She didn’t seem to understand not everyone was a friend. Strangers have been just that strangers. My sister would have argued that a stranger is just a potential unmet friend.
Her optimism was always lost on me. It seems she past that trait down to Lily.
“Lark.”
His voice was smooth chocolate. Deep and rich. Confusion roes. What was Lark?
“My names Lark.”
My cheeks burned as the knowledge he heard my internal question.
“Elizabeth.”
Manners sucked. If they weren’t drilled into me, I would have snatched Lily and made a run for it. He had this darkness to him. Like shadows that moved with him. We're one with him.
I had a brief silly vision of the soul collector. The Reaper. Death was standing in front of me. Such silliness. I really needed to get my over active dramatics under control. But for some reason he brought out the real me buried deep inside.
Something I pushed down deep when I lost it all. I needed to be a practical person and the old me was immature in a way. The spark in his eyes had fire blazing in my pussy. I’ve never felt such need before.
That need spiked fear. Grabbing Lily, I try to rush her inside without being too obvious. Apparently, I wasn’t fast enough.
“Want to come over for dinner?”
Lily’s sweet voice had terror striking deep.
“Sure bunny.”
Bunny? Her giggle had a smile lighting my face even though I wanted to run away and pretend this never happened my damn manners had me going along with it.
“Six.”
His nod had desire shooting through me. If such simple things had my body going crazy, I was terrified what his undivided attention would do to me. I was completely confused on what was going on here.
Twenty-three years of nothing only to have a few moments ignite flames I didn’t know existed.