Page 11 of Carver's Obsession

“So, um, where is she? I want to hand her this and get moving.”

Kristina smiled. “She’s in the kitchen. I haven’t told her anything. I didn’t know how you wanted to handle this.”

Erica tried to smile. “You guys won’t let me handle it the way I want, so I have no idea.”

Carver grabbed onto her upper arm. “Let’s get this first meeting over with. I can feel your shaking get worse as the minutes go by.”

Kristina took her hand. “Remember, you’re not alone.”

Erica glanced at her and nodded. She let them pull her into the kitchen. All the talking stopped as everyone turned to her. She clenched her teeth together when they wouldn’t stop staring.

“Erica?”

Erica felt her stomach tense at the sound of her sister’s voice. Something she hadn’t heard in years. She turned to face Jana.

“Hey. So, um, I’m sorry to interrupt. I need to give you something, and then I need to leave.”

Jana looked shocked and took a step toward her. She stopped suddenly when Erica flinched.

“I want Kristina, Carver, Jana, Gunner, and Erica in my office,” Striker said.

Erica sighed when Carver took her arm and led her after Striker. She tensed further when the office door closed behind them.

Striker went behind the desk and sat. Kristina stood beside him, and Feral was on the edge of the desk.

“Why don’t you tell us why you’re here?” Striker asked her.

Erica held up an envelope. “I just stopped to drop this off.”

“What is it?” Striker asked.

“It’s a letter from our mother and a check for half the sale of the house.” Erica kept her gaze from her sister but saw the man beside Jana tighten his grip on her.

“Where’s your mother?” Feral asked.

“She’s dead,” Erica said.

She ignored the gasp that came from Jana.

“When did she die?” Jana asked.

Erica inhaled and blanked out her expression before she faced Jana. “About three months ago.”

“How?” Jana asked.

“Does it really matter?” Erica said.

Jana looked shocked. “I think so.”

“Really? If you had cared at all about us, I would have thought you’d try to call or stop by sometime in the last five years.”

“I have called. I’ve talked to Mom several times. When I asked about you, she always told me you were busy with your life.”

Erica snorted. “Oh, I was busy. Besides school, I had a full-time job to support Mom and me, and when she got sick, I became her full-time caregiver. I had help for when I had school or work, but otherwise, I was with her.”

“I don’t understand. Why would she make it sound like you were doing great?” Jana asked.

“Because she needed someone to take care of her. After you and Dad left, I was the only one there.” Erica tried to make it sound like she didn’t care.

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