CHAPTER ONE

It was already raining by the time Lincoln McKells got to Camilla Peter’s apartment. He knocked
on the door and waited for his girlfriend to open the door.

A few seconds later, the door to Camilla’s apartment opened, revealing the relieved face of
Camilla. She smiled at him and ushered him in.

“Well, it’s raining heavily,” Lincoln spoke, removing his jacket and handing it to Camilla who
hurriedly took it into her bathroom.

“I thought you were going to stay at your place,” Camilla said to him from inside the bathroom.

Lincoln didn’t reply. He looked around the apartment and saw that she had started refurbishing
the place. Camilla now had a fish tank, a mantelpiece lined with pots of flowers and small
portraits of the two of them. It was almost as though they were together now as a married
couple, excited about the future they had ahead of them.

However, that future looked like a myth now. It was as though they were sent back a 100 times
into the past whenever they try to reach for the future. This same past was refusing to let them
go. It clung to them, threatening to squeeze the hope out of them.

“Do you like the flowers?” Camilla asked. She was now out of the bathroom.

“They look beautiful,” Lincoln replied.

“You don’t sound sure,” Camilla said again.

Lincoln flopped down on the sofa and drew in a long breath. “Look, Camilla. I know you’re trying
to change your apartment’s look because you want to get your minds off things and...”

“No, I’m not,” Camilla interrupted him.

“I understand what this means for us,” Lincoln said.

“No, you don’t.” Camilla laughed. “I’m actually refurbishing the place because I’m tired of the old
look. Don’t try to connect this with my ex.”

Her ex was Justin Fitzgerald and he was the current thorn in their flesh. It was surprising how
they managed to get over Hector Kingston’s dubious and life threatening plan to take over the
bar Camilla wanted, and the sudden appearance of her father, Victor, who had a connection to
a villainous sect. Now that they had to deal with Justin’s court case, it was almost as though
they were losing the fight before it even started. Lincoln hated that he had to think of future
problems anytime he thought of his life with Camilla. So many things wanted to tear them apart
and it hurt Lincoln that he couldn’t peacefully be with the woman he loved.

“Do you think he’s going to go on with the case?” Lincoln asked, closing his eyes.

Camilla didn’t respond. She went into the kitchen and began to set up the place to cook. Lincoln
opened his eyes and watched her from the sitting room.

His woman was burdened by everything happening and he didn’t need anyone to tell him how
much it troubled her. Camilla hardly spoke her mind but he had known her for years to know her
silence meant she was in pain. Oh, dear, Cam.

Lincoln rose to his feet and went into the kitchen. Camilla was opening and closing her cabinets,
evidently in search of something.

“What are you looking for?”

“Onions,” she responded. “I put them in here, somewhere.”

“You mean on the top cabinet?” Lincoln told her, pointing to the top cabinet where two bulbs of
onions were visible.

Camilla saw them and broke into a smile. “Yeah. I forgot.”

She took them and began to chop them into tiny bits. Lincoln glanced around, trying to find out
what he could do to help her.

“What are you cooking?”

“Stir fry. Fried rice. I don’t know. I have some chicken breasts in the fridge. I’ll have to marinate
them.”

“You’re bothered, Cam,” Lincoln said. “Talk to me.”

Camilla chuckled. “I’m not. Why do you think so?”

“Did something happen?” Lincoln insisted. “I’m not going to let you cook until you tell me what’s
bothering you. Is this about Justin?”

Camilla stopped chopping the onions. Tears rolled down her cheeks but Lincoln wasn’t sure if
she cried because of the onions or she was actually crying. His girlfriend wiped a tear from her
cheek and said,

“Yes, it’s about Justin. It’s all about Justin.”

“Hey, honey.” Lincoln walked over to her. “It’s okay. I was asking if Justin would go on with your
case but I don’t think so. He doesn’t have the balls.”

“That’s not it,” Camilla said. “Justin came here a few hours ago.”

Lincoln froze. He stared at Camilla’s face. She wasn’t joking. Suddenly, his rage swirled in him
like a violent wave. It threatened to burst out of him. Well, it did.

“Why was that asshole here?” Lincoln barked, rage deepening his voice.

Camilla looked at him. She was surprised by how much the name Justin angered him. But she
responded and told him everything Justin had said to her.

“He’s crazy,” Lincoln said. “How dare he? What does he mean by incriminating evidence?”

“I don’t know. But Justin is so sure he has enough evidence to send you to jail forever,” Camilla
answered.

“Evidence?” Lincoln said in disbelief. “He was the one who connived with Hector to burgle the
bar. If anyone is going to jail, it’s him.”

“But you and I know Justin isn’t going to jail.” Camilla said. “All of a sudden, the Charleston
Police Department doesn’t believe he worked with Hector. They are saying Hector threatened
him and asked him to burgle the bar. The story is now different.”

“I know,” Lincoln said. “Someone is behind this. I’m sure of it and I won’t relent until I find out
who it is.”

“Well, we are running out of time,” Camilla responded. “If we don’t do anything now, Justin is
going to present the evidence before the court and put your behind bars.”

Lincoln laughed. “I don’t even know what he’s talking about. What evidence?”

“I’m not done telling you what he said,” Camilla responded. “He told me to tell you he knows
about the Carter case.”

If Lincoln had been shocked earlier by Camilla’s revelation that Justin came to pay her a visit,
he was more shocked by the last thing that came out of her. The Carter case? Impossible! No
one knew about the Carter case!

“Linc?” Camilla called his name. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”
Lincoln shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t. Justin has probably hit his head or something in
court cell. It’s ridiculous how he thinks his threats would work on me.”

“Well, it’s working on me,” Camilla said. She went to where Lincoln was standing and peered
into his eyes. “I don’t want to see you in jail. Whatever this Carter case is, we have to fix it as
soon as possible.”

“There is nothing like the Carter case,” Lincoln told her, brushing his thumb against her cheek. It
hurt him that he was lying to her but he had no choice. The truth behind the case had to remain
buried until he could find out how Justin found out about it.

“Justin thinks there is and he sounded so sure of himself,” Camilla said.

“Hey, Cam, you know Justin is very manipulative. He’s only saying this to mess with us. Don’t
let his words get to us.”

Camilla nodded. “Alright. I won’t let his words get to me.”

Lincoln smiled at her and kissed her softly on the lips. “Now, let’s make that stir-fry or fried rice
or I don’t know.”

Camilla giggled. He was mimicking her. “Nice one, Lincoln McKells.”

“Oh, by the way, I’m spending the night here,” Lincoln told her and Camilla responded to the
news by breaking into a wide smile.

That night, while Camilla showered and Lincoln laid the bed, he thought about the new problem
that had now joined the other problems ahead of him. He was right. The past was like a
vacuum, trying to suck him into the core of its horrible memories. For why else was he hearing
about the Carter case when the case itself had been prematurely buried years ago when he
joined the police force?

Everything was out to get him. His enemies were gaining on him. His future with Camilla was
slipping out of his reach. How could he save himself? He didn’t want to have to think about
losing Camilla. She meant everything to him. He was nothing without her and Lincoln had come
to embrace the fact.

He walked out of the room and made for the sitting room. There he pulled out his phone and
dialed a number. Camilla was still in the bathroom. The sound of the shower running would stop
her from listening to the call he was about to make.

The call was picked on the third ring. A husky voice said from the other end of the line, “Hello.”

“Hello, I believe I’m talking to Mark Carter? I kept your number. This is Lincoln McKells.”
“Oh, Officer McKells. Great hearing from you again.”

“Something came up, Mark. We need to talk. This time around, let’s meet at the old house.”

CHAPTER TWO

Frankie Jones was the first to get to the bar.

She found a seat close to the window and settled down there, her eyes wandering to the bar’s
counter where her best friend, Camilla’s newest worker was pouring drinks. He was a young
man with brown hair and brown eyes that glinted with natural excitement. It was evident to tell
that this guy was friendly. He kept beaming at the customers and he didn’t hesitate to strike up
conversations with them.

The bar worker reminded her of one person – Taylor McKells. These days, Frankie found
herself thinking of Rayna’s brother. She didn’t want to embrace the lustful thoughts of him. In
fact, she was more puzzled about the thoughts and why she was having them now. Why am I
thinking about him?

The answer was simple. Taylor was back in Charleston. He was back in her life. It was as
though the vacation he went on had transformed him into a more gorgeous man who failed to
leave her mind. As if that wasn’t enough, Taylor took up interest in her. He heard about her
divorce and kept showing up at her apartment to talk to her about it. Taylor wanted to know if
she was over it. He was gradually becoming her confidant.

Frankie’s sudden attraction towards Taylor must have stemmed from this close relationship.
She found herself pouring her heart out to him and realized Taylor was a good listener. At the
same time, Frankie began to appreciate his good looks – brown hair, eyes that thinned
whenever he broke into a smile and a flawless sense of humor. Taylor McKells was perfect.

However, Frankie felt it was embarrassing that she was thinking about her best friend’s brother
this way. She didn’t want to be like Camilla who was now dating Lincoln, another of Rayna’s
brother. I don’t want to fall for a McKells. I’m his sister’s friend. It is wrong to love him.

“Frankie! There you are,” Camilla called her name, hurrying to her seat.

Yesterday night, Camilla had called up her friends and called for a meeting. As usual, the
meeting was set up in her bar called Cam’s Place. Rayna had told them she would be a little
late because she and Jax were trying to buy a new house and they were checking out the new
homes in the city. Frankie had promptly agreed to the meeting. Camilla should have been the
first person at the bar because, well, it was her bar but she had to wait till Lincoln was out of the
house. The meeting was happening because of Lincoln and Camilla didn’t want him to have any
inkling of what the girls were going to talk about.

“Hello, Cam,” Frankie greeted.

“How long have you been here? Did I keep you waiting?” Camilla asked.

Frankie laughed. “Oh, come on, girl. You know I love coming to your bar even when we don’t
have meetings. There is something blissful about this place.”

Camilla sat down in front of her friend and glanced around the bar. “Ironic, isn’t it? This place is
the foundation of the chaos in my life.”

The smile on Frankie’s face melted into a sorry look. She put a hand on Camilla’s and said,
“Sorry, Cam. I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

Camilla chuckled and took her hand away from under Frankie’s hand. Instead, she patted the
back of Frankie’s hand. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Then she glanced at her wristwatch. “I think we
should wait for Rayna. I called her two minutes ago and she said she was on her way. I think
she’s done looking at the houses.”

Frankie nodded. “Okay.”

Camilla raised an eyebrow at her. She knew whenever Frankie had something on her mind. Her
answers were always brief and she rarely showed any expression. It was happening to her now.

“Are you alright?” Camilla asked.

Frankie shrugged. “I am.”

“No, you’re not.” Camilla leaned forward. “I know when my best friend is troubled by something.
If you don’t tell me, I’m going to make Rayna force it out of you.”

“No, no,” Frankie quickly said.

Camilla was surprised by her quick response. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want Rayna to find out what I am about to tell you.”

Camilla crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You know we are not supposed to hide
things from Rayna.”

“I know but this is about her,” Frankie responded.

“Really?”

“Not entirely about her.” Frankie took a deep breath. “This is about her brother.”

“Which of her brothers?”

Frankie hesitated before saying, “Taylor.”

“Ooooh.” Camilla clapped once, her eyes gleaming with sheer curiosity. “What about him?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Frankie said, eyeing her best friend.

Camilla grinned. “What am I thinking?”

Frankie brushed her statement aside. “Whatever. I’m just trying to tell you that I feel
uncomfortable around Taylor. I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

Camilla frowned. “Did he touch you? Did he assault you?”

“No!” Frankie cried. “I just don’t like what I feel about him.”

“What do you feel about him?”

Frankie groaned. She facepalmed herself and said, “You know what I’m talking about, Cam.
Stop doing this to me.”

“I don’t,” Camilla responded.

She was lying. Camilla knew what Frankie was talking about but she wanted the woman to talk
about it herself. Just two days ago, she had had a conversation with Rayna concerning Frankie
and Taylor. Rayna had noticed how close the two had gotten. She was very thrilled about it and
hoped that the two would start dating. Wait till I tell you about this, Rayna.

“You’re serious? You don’t know?” Frankie asked.

Camilla nodded. “I’m serious.”

“Okay,” Frankie replied. She leaned forward and glanced around as though scared Rayna would
appear out of nowhere and hear what she was about to tell Camilla. “I have feelings for him.”

Camilla pretended to be shocked. She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at Frankie
wide-eyed. “What?”

“Alright, it’s very obvious you’re being dramatic,” Frankie said.

“Dramatic? Why would I be dramatic? I would never have thought you would develop feelings
for Taylor. You just got divorced. I thought you weren’t ready to let any man into your life.”

Frankie signed deeply. “You’re right. I vowed never to love any man after I broke up with, you
know who. I didn’t even love him. The arranged marriage just showed me how much I was
desperate to be with a man and I don’t want that. I don’t want to be desperate.”

“Do you think you’re having feelings for Taylor because you’re desperate?” Camilla asked.

Frankie didn’t reply immediately. She looked out the window and watched the cars drive on the
street. When she looked back at Camilla, tears were visible in her eyes.

“I don’t know, Cam. I don’t know what to think. I can’t stop thinking about Taylor. He’s everything
I want in a man.”

Camilla smiled. She took Frankie’s hand and squeezed it gently. “That’s beautiful to hear,
Frankie. Go for it. Tell Taylor what you feel about him. I’m sure he feels the same way.”
“No,” Frankie simply said. “I don’t want to tell him.”

“Frankie honey, what’s holding you back? You do know Taylor isn’t going to bite you if you tell
him the truth. Rayna isn’t going to castigate you either.”

“I’m just not sure what I feel,” Frankie told her. “When you started having feelings for Lincoln,
you didn’t want to believe it. You felt it was impossible to love a man you’ve known for years, a
man who is your best friend’s brother. That’s what I feel right now, Cam. I don’t want to believe I
have feelings for Taylor.”

Frankie was right, she had to admit. Falling in love with Lincoln had been alien to her. It was as
though she had loved him all these years but she was blind to it. When the truth finally hit her, it
was impossible to embrace it. The same thing was happening to Frankie and she was confused
about it. Camilla concluded that Frankie needed time to think about this. There was no point
rushing her.

“You’re right,” Camilla said. “You don’t have to tell him now. Think about it. Be sure this is
actually a thing and not just an infatuation.”

“Exactly!” Frankie exclaimed. “What if I’m feeling this way because I need someone to talk to
and Taylor is always available? It might be a temporary feeling that’s going to vanish very soon.”

Camilla smiled. “I doubt it, Frankie. There is something about the McKells. It is impossible not to
love them.”

Just then, Rayna McKells walked into the bar. She spotted her friends and waved excitedly at
them.

“There she is,” Camilla whispered to Frankie.

“Don’t tell her what I told you,” Frankie whispered back.

“Sure. Your secret is safe with me,” Camilla assured.

“Hello, girls,” Rayna greeted as she got to them.

She dropped her bag on the table and sat in front of her friends. A smile stretched across her
lips. Camilla returned the smile while it was very obvious that Frankie’s own was forced. She
appeared nervous, as though Rayna had heard what she told Camilla about Taylor.

Camilla wasn’t going to tell Rayna about Frankie’s secret. She respected her friend’s feelings
and knew why it would be hard for her to admit she liked Taylor. She was going to let Frankie
uncover her true feelings herself. There will be no rushing.
“So, what have you guys been saying behind me?”

“Your new house,” Frankie responded nervously before Camilla could answer.

She glanced at Frankie and the woman gave her a knowing look. Oh, dear, Frankie, if you go on
with this attitude, Rayna will find out.

“My new house?” Rayna said, chuckling. “What about it?”

“Did you and Jax find one?” Frankie inquired.

Rayna grinned. Her eyes glinted with delight as if Frankie’s question had suddenly reminded of
the good news she should be talking about. “Yes! We found one two streets from here. It’s a
white duplex with four rooms and it overlooks the park. I really love it!”

“Does Jax love it?” Camilla asked.

Rayna scratched her head. “Well, I’m not sure but he didn’t sound enthusiastic about it like I did.
He just shrugged and said whatever I want, he wants.”

“Oh, no,” Camilla spoke. “You know you have to make sure he likes it too, right?”

Rayna nodded. “I know but I’m going to talk about it with him. We just have to both decide on a
house very soon.”

“Good for you too,” Frankir chipped in.

“So, is there something else I should know about?” Rayna asked, searching the faces of her
friends.

Camilla and Frankie exchanged looks but neither of them said anything. Rayna quickly added,
“Like why this meeting was called?”

“Oh,” Camilla said. “Yeah, this meeting. Well, I wanted to talk to you guys about Lincoln.”

Rayna frowned. “What happened to my brother?”

“Before I go any further.” Camilla looked at Rayna. “Did your brother tell you anything about the
Carter case?”

Rayna thought for a while. “The Carter case? I don’t think so.”
“I believe it’s a case he did when he joined the police force,” Camilla said to her, trying to make
Rayna rack her brains for a possible memory of the Carter case.

“I don’t think Rayna is the right person you should ask,” Frankie told Camilla. “Ask Lincoln’s
pals. Like that partner of his Vivian Renner.”

Camilla said, “Yeah, Vivian! How did I forget about her?”

“But hold on,” Rayna said. “I think I might remember the Carter case. Lincoln told me something
about it years ago.”

Camilla leaned forward. “What do you remember about the case?”

“Not a lot,” Rayna replied. “But I do know Lincoln was bothered about it. He said the Carter
suspect was innocent. The case was abandoned after the suspect himself vanished from police
custody. I remember Lincoln secretly telling me he kinda feels happy the suspect escaped.”

Camilla’s heart skipped a bit. Lincoln had been happy that a suspect escaped from police
custody? Did he know anything about the suspect’s escape? Had Justin found out about it and
decided to...

“Why are you asking anyway?” That was Rayna.

“Yeah, I’m curious too,” Frankie added.

They both looked at Camilla, waiting for an answer. She sighed deeply and began,

“Justin Fitzgerald came to my apartment yesterday.”

“What?” Rayna cried. “That bastard!”

“What the hell did he want?” Frankie asked.

“To threaten me. He said he knows something a dirty secret about Lincoln, something my
boyfriend has been keeping from all of us. Justin claimed he had strong evidence to lock up
Lincoln forever. Then he talked about the Carter case.”

“He’s bluffing,” Rayna said immediately. “Don’t let him get to you, Cam. He’s just lying. My
brother doesn’t know anything about the Carter case!”

Frankie raised an eyebrow. “Did he ask anything in return to keep Lincoln’s secret?”
Camilla lowered her eyes. This was the part she had failed to tell Lincoln. Justin had told her a
way out of this mess. He wouldn’t reveal the evidence to the court unless Camilla does
something in return.

“He asked me to marry him,” Camilla confessed.

Rayna and Frankie were too shocked to let out any sound. Then Rayna began to laugh. She
laughed so hard she banged her hand on the table and dabbed at the corners of her eyes with
her other hand.

“What’s funny?” Camilla asked, throwing her a harsh look.

“Marry Justin?” Rayna managed to say amidst fits of laughter. “Oh, that crook is so desperate.”

“I know right?” Frankie added. “He has to be on coke to think you’re going to marry him.”

“Of course, I’m not going to marry him.” Camilla groaned. “What do you think I am? A baby?”

“Then you don’t have to worry about him, do you?” said Frankie. “Justin can’t do shit to you and
Lincoln.”

Camilla shook her head. “It’s not Justin I’m worried about. It’s Lincoln.”

Rayna knitted her eyebrows together. “Why?”

“He’s hiding something from me, I know it. And my guts tells me it’s about the Carter case.”

Rayna shook her head. “No, Cam. You just want to believe it’s about the case. This was what I
meant by not letting Justin get into your head.”

“But he wouldn’t look me in the eye when I ask him about the case,” Camilla insisted. She fixed
her gaze on Rayna. “Tell me, Rayna, tell me you can’t tell when Lincoln is lying.”

Rayna shrugged. “Well, to be fair. I always know when he is lying.”

“See! I know when he’s lying too,” Camilla continued. “I’ve been dating him for months. I know
him for years. You don’t think I’ll be able to point out when my boyfriend is hiding something
from me?”

Frankie spoke next, “Okay, if Lincoln is indeed lying, what do you want to do? How do you want
to get him to talk? If there is one thing I know about the McKells brothers, it’s that you can never
get something out of them.”
“A true fact!” Rayna agreed. “I still don’t believe my brother is lying but just as Frankie said, how
do you want to find out?”

“I don’t know.” Camilla buried her face in her palms. “I really don’t know. I want to believe I’m
wrong. I want to believe Lincoln isn’t lying to me.”

Frankie put a hand on Camilla’s shoulder. “He isn’t. Justin is just a desperate douchebag who
wants to have you by all means. But you don’t have to let him. He’s a psychopath and there is
no way we, your best friends, are going to let you go back to him.”

Camilla raised her head. “Not in my wildest dreams. I’m never going back to Justin.”

“Just be careful, Cam. Don’t lose the one you love because of Justin. He’s not worth it,” Rayna
advised.

“Maybe we should just stop talking about him,” Camilla answered, chuckling. “Why don’t we talk
about something else? Do you guys want to order or something?”

“Well, I have something we can talk about,” Rayna said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“I know that look.” Frankie grinned too. “You’ve got another good news. What is it? Tell us!”

“I want you to guess,” Rayna said, her grin widening.

“Come on, you know Frankie and I suck at guessing,” Camilla said to her.

“Just guess!” Rayna kept saying.

“Okay.” Frankie racked her brain. “You won a lottery?”

“Oh, God, no, Frankie,” Rayna replied and broke into laughter. “Why would I win a lottery? I
would have told you if I wanted to do something like that.”

“Okay, I know what it is,” Camilla said, scanning Rayna’s face. “You and Jax already have a
wedding date?”

Rayna nods repeatedly and her best friends shouted in excitement.

“Congratulations!” Frankie cried, inching closer to hug her friend.

Camilla did the same. “I am so happy for you!”

However, Camilla felt a pang of jealousy thinking about the good things happening to Rayna. It
was as though she had her life all settled out for her. As for her, she was still struggling to
understand what her life with Lincoln would be. It wasn’t as though Rayna had not had her bad
days. There was one time a man came into Rayna’s life and almost tore her and Jax apart.
Then there was the issue concerning Jax’s estranged brother who turned out to be convict.

In all, love and relationships will never grant you a bed of roses. It’s not always sunshine and
warmth. There are days when the night will turn cold and the darkness will threaten to consume
you

Camilla Peters hoped to conquer her cold nights and never give in to the darkness. She’ll fight
for love and hope that Lincoln will do the same.

This time around, she wasn’t going to give up on the man she wanted to spend the rest of her
life with.

CHAPTER THREE

He stopped at the far end of the bridge and glanced at his wristwatch. 9 pm. This meeting was a
secret one. No one had to know he was here. Not even the woman he loved had to know what
he was up to.

Lincoln McKells took a deep breath and thought about his life. Damn! He was almost losing it.
To make matters worse, he could likely lose his girlfriend, Camilla, to this unforeseen situation.
But how did Lincoln find out about the Carter case? It had been buried for years. The
department had shoved the case into the drawer where forgotten cases are kept. No one
bothered about the Carter case again. But here he was, thinking about the downside of this
case getting reopened.
Someone approached him. The individual was coming from his left. Lincoln could clearly point
out the figure of a sturdy man, face hidden under a cap while his hands were pocketed in his
trousers. Lincoln had seen this figure several times. He knew what to expect when the figure
drops the hoodie and shows his face – dark fierce eyes, a scar running down the corner of his
face, thin lips and a crooked smile. Lincoln had seen his hands too, those hairy hands that
everyone claimed had slaughtered an old man.

However, Lincoln had looked past their accusations. In those dark fierce eyes, he had seen an
innocent man who needed saving. He had looked at those hands and seen no blood on them.
Mark Carter was innocent and he deserved his freedom.

“Officers McKells?” Mark Carter had gotten to him now. He broke into a wide smile. “Good to
see you!”

Lincoln shook his hand. “It’s been years, Mark. I’m now a lieutenant.”

“That’s great to hear!” Mark exclaimed. “I really don’t keep up with the news from Charleston.”

“I understand,” Lincoln said.

Mark scanned the area behind Lincoln. “You didn’t come in your car? This area is several
streets from where you live.”

Lincoln nodded. “It was intentional. I don’t want anyone trailing me down here.”

The smile on Mark’s face vanished. “I thought you said it’s all over. No one cares about me
again. Who are you hiding from?”

“I thought wrong, Mark,” Lincoln answered. He squeezed his temples. “Someone is trying to
reopen the case.”

Maybe he heard Mark gasp or the guy didn’t, whatever it was, Lincoln’s heart broke at the
shocked expression on the grown man’s face. He didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news but
this particular bad news had to be shared. Mark needed to know about Justin Fitzgerald and his
threats.

“Who is it? Who’s trying to open the case?”

“Not really open,” Lincoln said. “Someone found about the Carter case and they have evidence.”

“Evidence of what?”

“I don’t know,” Lincoln said. “That’s why I am here. Does someone know where you are? Do
they know we have been communicating all these years?”
Mark appeared to be thinking about an answer. He pulled one of his hands out of his pocket and
scratched the bridge of his nose.

“No one knows. I’ve been careful.”

“Well, someone knows, Mark. You have to think! Who have you been talking to?”

“I haven’t been talking to anyone, Officer McKells,” Mark yelled and closed his eyes. Lincoln
could hear him draw a long breath. When he opened his eyes, the glint in his dark eyes was
gone. “Do you think I’ll tell anyone about you knowing where I am? Do you think I’ll deliberately
rat out a man who believed me when no one else believed me?”

Lincoln didn’t immediately speak. He thought about what Mark had said. The man was right. It
was impossible to betray someone who had stood by you during your trying times. Lincoln had
been Mark’s pillar during his days of weakness. He had been his hope during a time his world
bore no hope.

“I honestly don’t know what to think, Mark. If the world finds out I have been talking to you, it’s
not going to look good for me. Not even for my family and the ones I care about.”

Camilla! I care about Camilla. But what could Lincoln do? Justin knew something and it feared
him that it was more than he thought.

“What about you?” Mark was saying.

Lincoln frowned. “Me?”

“Yes. Have you been talking to someone about me?”

“That’s ridiculous. It would be foolish of me to do that. You and I both know we have so many to
lose if we say the truth.”

Mark shrugged. “So, why would you even think I’ll talk?”

Lincoln sighed. “I’m sorry. I just thought...”

“Are you worried about someone?” Mark was searching his face. “It’s very obvious that you are.
I know when Officer, sorry, Lieutenant McKells is worried about someone. I’ve seen that face
several times.”

Lincoln chuckled. “These days, I’m like an open book. Everyone seems to know when I’m
worried.”
Just last night, Camilla had confronted him about the Carter case again. She was so sure he
knew what Justin was talking about.

“Cam, don’t you trust me?” Lincoln had to ask her.

“I trust you, Lincoln, but I know when you’re not telling me something. What is it about this
case?”

“Okay, fine, it’s an old case but I wasn’t even the detective on it. Vivian was. She only came to
me whenever she needed advise or something.”

“Oh,” Camilla had said. “What has this got to do with you then?”

“Nothing.” Lincoln raised his hands and dropped them again. “That was why I said Justin is just
messing with us. He’s got nothing on me.”

Camilla had proceeded to hug him. “I believe you, Lincoln. I just don’t want anything to open to
you.”

Going over the conversation again broke Lincoln’s heart. He hated that he wasn’t honest with
her. But it was for the best. Maybe Camilla Peters would hate him if she found out the truth.

“Who are you worried about?” Mark was asking.

He stared at the man and hesitated before replying, “A friend.”

Not that he didn’t trust Mark. In fact, trust was the very reason he was even in this Carter story.
Lincoln just didn’t want to talk about his love life with him. Calling Camilla his friend was enough.

“Officer Vivian?” Mark said, his eyes widening. “Is she in trouble?”

“No, no, it’s not Vivian. Did I tell you Vivian quit her job?”

Mark shook his head, his surprise heightening. “No, you didn’t.”

“She did. She is now living in a different city with her fiancé. I think they are going to get
married. They haven’t picked a date.”

“That’s great to hear. But is she the reason you’re here?”

“No, Mark. I’m worried about someone else. It’s a woman who means a lot to me.”

“Oh,” Mark said but he didn’t speak further. Maybe he didn’t want to intrude in his private life.
“You don’t even want to know how she’s connected to this?” Lincoln asked.

Mark shrugged. “Well, it all depends on if you’re ready to tell me.”

“I’ll tell you,” Lincoln answered. “She had this psychotic ex-boyfriend who connived with a
criminal mastermind to punish her and make her lose the very thing she wanted. Well, I was
there to save her and we began dating. But now the ex-boyfriend is back and he is out to get
me. Apparently, someone dropped all the charges against him. Someone rich got him out of
court cell and I have a feeling that this powerful person knows the truth about your escape. This
person knows what happened that night and that I might have an idea where you’re hiding.
Someone is out to get me and if they get me, they’ll get to you too.”

Mark could only stare at Lincoln. It was as though he fought for the right words to say.

“I know this is hard for you to process but that’s the truth. I really don’t know how I can save you.
But you need to watch your book. We need to make sure no one finds out where you are.”

“Lincoln, you know the police still thinks I’m a murderer?” Mark said to him. “I’ve been running
for years. Don’t you think this is an opportunity to actually clear my name?”

Lincoln looked at him. He folded his arms and said, “What are you talking about?”

“You were the only one who saw me in that interrogation room and believed I was innocent. You
were even able to convince Vivian to believe in me. I don’t want to keep running for the rest of
my life. I didn’t kill the old man. Someone set me up.”

“I know. If I’m not sure of your innocence, we won’t be here talking in the first place. But what do
you mean by clear your name? How can you clear your name?”

“When I broke out of the police station and started running from the cops, I was able to do some
digging of my own. I’m not sure of what I found out but this might be it. This might be the key to
my freedom. I only need your help.”