Page 43 of GAF Factor

“Cash never said. I assumed she was with her mother.”

He nodded, pushing the door open. “Claire was here for a while, but she had to go home and take care of a few things. She should be returning in a few days.”

I couldn’t believe Isabelle was here. After all this time, the woman who started this whole thing was just down the hall from me. It was insane. “How is she?”

Instead of looking at me, Knight studied the room as if he was looking for something. I glanced around, noting not a single thing was out of the ordinary. It looked perfect.

“She’s…getting by.” He finally turned, his eyes flicking to the door. Maybe he didn’t want to talk about it when she could walk by at any moment. “Mrs. Cartwright put fresh sheets on the bed and there should be everything you need in the bathroom. If you need clothes or anything, you’ll find some things in the closet. Hopefully, there’s something in your size.”

I had my bag with me, but the offer was so nice. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Well…I’ll leave you to it. I’m sure you’re exhausted. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

He stared at me for another moment before striding to the door and closing it behind him. Sighing, I plopped down on the bed and glanced around the room. A deep ache settled in my chest the moment Cash walked out the door. But the unease had been brewing since he returned, looking defeated and lost. I knew then that nothing would ever be the same. I just hadn’t expected the fallout to be this bad.

Of course, I hadn’t known from the beginning that he had been the one to kill his brother.

With all the heartache running through me, all I wanted was to take a shower and fall into bed and pass out. I flopped back on the bed, melting into the comfort of the mattress. It was like laying on a cloud. I snatched the pillow and tucked it under my head, sighing at how amazing it all was. I had to get up now before I fell asleep without cleaning up.

I quickly showered, brushing my hair as I wandered around the room. I couldn’t believe how nice this place was. They really thought of everything when they built this place. And the beds…I was going to have to find out where they got those.

Along with the pillows. If I wasn’t mistaken, they were hypoallergenic.

A deep rumble rippled through my belly as I wandered around the room. There was no way I would fall asleep when Iwas this hungry. I just hadn’t thought about food when I was too concerned with getting Knight on my side. But with that settled, all the other important things—like eating to stay alive—came rushing back to the forefront of my mind.

I opened the door, peeking out into the hallway. Knight said not many people stayed down here, but I still didn’t want to disturb anyone else. I glanced at my watch. It was past eleven. Hopefully, everyone would be asleep by now.

Sighing, I walked down the hall, peeking around corners as I went. The sitting areas were all empty and not a single sound followed me as I crept down the hallways. I found the kitchen easily enough and started digging through the fridge for something to eat, tempted by the dozens of containers, labeled with the most delicious meals. I pulled out the lasagna just as a voice startled me.

“I thought I would be the only one up at this time of night.”

I spun around, nearly dropping the container on the floor. Isabelle. I knew it as soon as I laid eyes on her. She was the right age and had that look in her eyes, the confused kind of lost expression that I felt deep in my soul. But did she know me?

I shook my head, realizing I was just staring at her. “Uh…hi. I’m Eva. You must be Isabelle.”

She stiffened immediately. “And why is that?”

“Because Knight said it was only you and an older couple down here. I figured you weren’t half of the older couple,” I smiled, hoping she found that humorous. He hadn’t actually told me that Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright were older, but I took a gamble on that. Why else would he address them that way?

“Eva. You’re visiting or…”

“Just here to see Knight,” I answered. “He offered to let me stay here for the night before I head home.”

She nodded. “How do you know Knight?”

Man, this was awkward. She didn’t know who I was. “Um…He’s my brother-in-law.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she cocked her head in thought.

“Cash is my husband,” I continued, not making her wait for the answer. “He’s?—”

“Rafe’s brother,” she finished for me. “I met Cash in the hospital. I don’t remember much. I was…on a lot of drugs.”

He told me as much, not that he gave me anything else to go on. I held up the container. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

I stuck it in the microwave as she grabbed plates, then waited awkwardly for the food to finish cooking. I didn’t know what to say to her. I had no clue what she knew or what she was comfortable talking about. I didn’t want to make things worse. But she was Cash’s family, and I wanted to be there for her in any way I could.

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