Prologue

  “We understand that this is a difficult time for the both of you,” the attorney said, looking at both Kyle and Alana. His office felt uncomfortably warm, and Alana shifted nervously next to her sister. Kyle reached over, taking her younger sister’s hand in hers, giving it a slight, reassuring squeeze. The attorney continued, shuffling through some paperwork on his desk. “Your parents fortunately had enough foresight to prepare a will and trust for both of you should something happen that would result in their untimely passing.”

  “What exactly did they prepare,” Kyle asked, her hazel eyes set like stone on the balding, older man in the cheap, ill-fitting suit before them. Her voice held ice that probably resembled permafrost by this point. She had grown exhausted of the condolences and pretty words that had been flooding their lives ever since the car accident that took their parents away. None of them soothed like people thought. None of the words dulled the ache of having to navigate such an uncertain time in their lives. Alana was just a sophomore in high school, barely sixteen. Kyle had to give up her plans to move abroad with her now ex-girlfriend. Their entire lives had been thrown into absolute chaos and uncertainty. The attorney cleared his throat.

  “Well, the house is paid for and there are currently no liens against the property. They willed that to both of you to share,” he said, then continued down the list of items spelled out in the will. A trust account to go towards Alana’s college education. Money set aside to take care of any expenses the sisters may have. Their parents were by no means wealthy or well-to-do, but they each made fair amounts in their day jobs on top of having the good mind to purchase decent life insurance policies to handle the costs of their funeral expenses and other costs that might’ve cropped up afterward. As far as financial stability, things were okay.

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  But Kyle did not care. They would never be okay. A piece of each sister died with their parents six months ago on that old road. Pieces that neither of them will ever get back. She knew, as she held her sister’s hand and noticed how the younger girl struggled to keep it together, that nothing will ever quite be the same for them again.

  She also knew the family business now fell on her shoulders, and there was no way she would ever saddle Alana with that responsibility, even though she knew just as much about the business as she did. It was not fair to expect a kid to take on so much. Kyle was twenty-two, not quite a kid anymore and old enough to do things that Alana could not. The responsibility to maintain the business, and the order of things that came with it, fell solely on her. At least that’s what she told herself. Abruptly she stood, startling the attorney mid-ramble.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lazzeri,” she told the man. “You can contact me about the disbursement details. I need to get my sister home. I have an appointment.” She did not wait for any acknowledgement, tugging Alana along out of the office and outside to her car. For her, she had to get Alana home, fed, and settled in for the night before she had to get back to work. When it came to family business, when duty called, you answered.

  The dead waited for no one.