I imagined hundreds of other sisters, mothers and fathers out there. Others like me who prayed for the return of a loved one but, unlike me, may never get their closure.
All because of the man I made a life with.
“I'll help you,” I declared with a clench of my fist.
“It'll be risky, Rose. I don't think…”
“She's in here, Mr. Foster.” The attendant's approaching voice trickled in through the gap in the door.
“Nathan.” I whispered, the blood freezing in my veins.
Rose's POV
“How could you be so stupid?”
Nathan stared at the road as he drove, his jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grind against each other
“She's my sister,” I reminded him in a small voice.
I wanted to be brave but being alone in a car while he was so pissed reminded me of how much weaker I was compared to him.
“And I'm your fucking husband! I told you I was handling it but you just had to go snooping and fuck everything up!”
He was my husband and once upon a time that would have been enough to make me stay home and pray he finds her.
But I was tired of the head shakes and dismissive smiles when I asked about Bella.
I was tired of being the good wife who only ever said ‘yes’ and ‘as you wish’ to her husband.
Blind devotion was what landed my sister in a morgue for his mistress I almost called my friend.
I was done with that crap.
“It's a good thing I went searching, then, ‘cause at the pace you were going it would have taken decades for you to find her.” I spat with vindictive pride.
“Or maybe you never planned to find her at all.”
The car screeched to a halt as he slammed his foot on the break.
I cried out as my head bounced off the dashboard. The pain spread through the side of my face and my ears began to ring.
When the ringing settled I turned to him with annoyed glare and my courage dried up when I caught the wild look in his eyes.
Dark and narrowed, the kind of stare I had seen him give to one of his men who thought it'd be funny to slap my ass.
Nathan had tortured that man in my presence, and the remembrance of his dying screams made me want that look nowhere near me let alone on me.
“Nathan…” I tried to weasel my way out of the mess but he was quick to interrupt.
“What makes you believe I haven't been searching for Bella?” His voice was eerily calm.
I swallowed and shook my head. “That's not what I meant….”
“Have you been talking to someone, baby?”
“No.”