Love, Lies, and a Fatal Dog

t the rest of my things, to sever the final ties. I us

living room. Co

er face buried in her hands. Cohen

s, when they met mine, were fi

narled. "Ho

or a second. "Ho

pat. "Caesar is dead. Hillary found him

om the truth, that all I could do was let out a

led. "You hated him! You made

yes were sharp and calculating. "She threatened him, Cohen

ss fiend who would take out her grief on an innocent animal

arry, the man I had loved with every fiber of my

believ

words, but in the cold,

then pushed on, his voice dripping with contempt. "Your mother's situ

eath was an accident. But

erfect sense. A prize-winning, pure-bred mastiff was w

nt in defending myself. He had already tried an

uth. "I did it. I hunted down that mons

ion was the spark

her nails bared like claws. "Y

her hard. She stumbled back,

n it ha

in the quiet room. My head snapped to the side, my c

had

eaving. "Get out," he hissed, his voice low and dang

blow was nothing compared to the shock of the a

hing to her side, helping her up. "Ar

g. He hit me, and then he

swell. I looked at him, cradling Hillary in his a

voice quiet but firm. "One day, you'll look back

u. Now get out. If you're not gone in ten minutes, I'm

ish," I s

Truly, irre

ed the suitcase I had already packed in my mind, an

. I had booked a one-way ticket

he city and my old life behind,

chest, a sense of dread that made his breath catch. He pulled out his p

text. Ja

mall, red exclamation mark appeare

eady blocke