Page 18 of One Night Years Ago

Suddenly, she was back in the dark alley, a hot, hard shape on top of her. Everything hurt after what she’d been through. The worst pain was inside her, but her breast was throbbing too. She touched her chest and her hand came back bloody.

Then a car went by, its headlights illuminating the dark alley for a moment, and she saw the eagle flap its wings. She remembered something she’d never remembered before, the way the man tried to shove her dress against her. The pain when he touched her ribs was excruciating. She thought she might die. And she screamed.

She swayed where she was standing. She thought she might faint.

And then she heard Hunter Fowler’s voice. He was standing against the barn, like she’d asked him to.

“Sheriff? Please lower the gun,” he said, his voice very low. “My brother’s not a threat.”

He made as if to take a step towards her.

“Back against the wall. Don’t get any closer,” she ordered.

She breathed in and out, in and out, the way her therapist had taught her.

“We’re not going to hurt you, I swear.”

“You swear? You sorry fuck.”

The brother spoke. His voice was nothing like Hunter’s. It was a boy’s whine in a man’s voice. “Why is the sheriff talking to you like this, Hunter? We didn’t do anything.”

And just like that pieces of the puzzle started coming together in her mind. Things that had never made any sense, because these men had been lying to her.

“It’s okay, Jesse,” Hunter said, speaking softly to his brother. “The sheriff’s just doing her job.”

He looked at her. “Is it okay if he goes into the house?”

Natalie looked at him like he was crazy. She wasn’t letting either of them out of her sight.

“Please. Just to check on my mother. I’ll explain everything.”

Natalie bit her lip. The urge to finally know was overwhelming.

She trained the gun on him loosely, just to let him know what he stood to lose if he lied to her—his own sorry life. Finally, she nodded.

“It’s okay, Jesse. Can you go into the house and check on Mom?”

“I don’t want to leave you alone with her, Hunter. She looks really mad.”

“She’s not going to hurt me, Jesse.”

I wouldn’t be so sure about that.

“Maybe you can make Mom a nice hot chocolate while you’re inside.”

Jesse brightened at that. “I could make two,” he said.

Hunter nodded, standing very still until his brother disappeared into the house. Then he leaned back against the barn wall as if in pain.

“So that’s your younger brother,” she said.

Hunter looked at her. “He’s five minutes younger.”

“You’re twins,” she said, more to herself than to him. Life had taken them in different directions, but twelve years earlier they would have looked very similar.

“Take off your fucking T-shirt,” she demanded.

“Don’t do this, Natalie,” he begged.