Page 48 of Those Who Are Bound

“Oh, bragged; it was his badge of honor. I’m sure he has a picture of it still on his phone. And I’m certain that’s why he won class president. It wasn’t because he was particularly smart.”

“No fallout for you?”

“Well, as a girl, you either shrivel up or you say, ‘Damn straight that was me’ and move on like it doesn’t affect you. I took the damn straight approach.”

He predicted, “But it affected you.”

“Of course it did,” she said quietly. “My most private moment was shared with the entire school; it was humiliating. But I survived it; Dad was transferred, and it was forgotten.”

“Whatever happened to him? To Cort?”

“I have no idea; it’s not like we kept in touch. He’s not on my Christmas card list, if that’s what you’re asking. What about your ex? Do you hear from her?”

“Of course, we’re friends. She and Lucy are pretty tight.”

“Oh.”

“She and I didn’t work as a married couple, but she’s a friend.She’s remarried now going on seven years, and she has three kids. She’s happy; happier than I could’ve made her.”

“Jesus. Three.” Elliott looked at him, wondering how any woman could let him walk away with his devastating dark looks and soothing demeanorwith the hint of a predator behind all of that charm and rough male beauty. “Well, it takes two to make something like that work, so it’s not all on you.”

Jonah gave her an appreciative and knowing look. “It does.”

She added with self-effacing humor, “Of course, I’m acting as though I know what I’m talking about.”

Jonah pointed out, “I imagine you observed your parents’ relationship.That’s devotion, a military family, two people struggling to make it work in the most extreme circumstances.”

“I suppose. And you’re right; they were devoted to one another.Mom would have gone—well, did go—wherever Dad did. As horrible as it had been to have Becks show up at school and tell me they were gone, there’s that bit of peace that they went together. There’s no way one would have wanted to survive without the other.”

“How did they die?”

Elliott answered, “Car wreck. Perfect weather, spring day, no car troubles, just a driver on his cell phone, not paying attention until it was too late.”

“And… Becks. The detective? Elliott Beckman? He’s the one who told you?”

The ripples of disquiet floated off her. Elliott gave a small nod. Becks was… private. Swallowing, she answered carefully, “He was a detective in DC by then.” She looked down. “So he drew the short straw.” Images of that day flashed through her mind: the heartbreak, the hysterics, the rope, the release. The flush worked its way over her body, so she turned her head away, afraid that he would see more than he should.

“How old were you?”

Elliott bit her bottom lip. “Twenty.”

“And your brother?”

“He’d gotten out and returned to KC to be with the folks, so it sucked worse for him.”

“Did he start Easy Street Events immediately after he got back?”

She nodded. “He’d been thinking about it, and he was in the initial phases when our folks died. The money from the inheritance helped finance it.”

“How long was he back before your parents died?”

Taking in a calming breath, she answered quietly, “A few months.” She was struggling. Questions weren’t easy. Answers and memory weren’t easy.

“So after you graduated, you came back here?”

“I would have preferred staying in DC, but…”

“But?”

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