Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
Sloan continued. “Nicola, you have the right to retain and instruct counsel…”
Nikki stared at nothing. A blood rush throbbing in her ears drummed out Sloan’s words as her world swirled in surreal slow motion. Her mother had dropped to her knees in agony, hands pressed together as if she were pleading and praying.
Telforde’s face contorted into shocked anger as he demanded in vain to know: “What did you do? What the hell did you do?”
He’s the one who should be in handcuffs, Nikki thought, for all he’s done to me. But he’ll beat my mom and put her on the street if I tell. Let them take me. There’s nothing they can do.
Nikki’s jaw clenched. She knew how to keep secrets.
With Sloan and Jurek carefully leading her downstairs and outside to one of the cars, Nikki took it all in.
Charged with murder at fourteen.
She knew she should be scared but she wasn’t. She’d been arrested before. And with what Telforde Rahynes had done to her, and her crap life, well, she could take it.
She was calm, looking up at the apartment because she felt protected.
Her mother had rushed from the building to the car, hysterical and sobbing.
“It’s all a mistake! Nikki didn’t do anything!”
Watching from the backseat, Nikki felt tears trickling down her cheeks for her poor, dumb mother.
Nobody knew the truth. Nobody knew what happened in the Tullock place. And nobody would ever know because she was protected by the pact.
Nikki’s handcuffs clinked as she twisted her ring, looking down at the enraged skull.
Twenty-Eight
Eternity, Manitoba
2000
Sunday morning, Marlene Klassyn knocked softly on Janie’s closed bedroom door.
“What is it?” Janie groaned groggily.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
Marlene surveyed her daughter’s room, an adolescent sanctuary with clothes tossed haphazardly on the floor and desk chair. She glanced at the digital clock, the photo strip and that skull ring on her wicker nightstand. The discarded wooden ladder Janie had found had been transformed into a bookshelf, the violet walls were covered with Janie’s watercolor art and glow-in-the-dark stars studded the ceiling so she could fall asleep dreaming of better things.
Janie was buried under the sheets.
“Honey, you know I have to go to the restaurant this morning to help with the memorial reception the club’s planning, right?”
“Yeah. So?” Janie’s voice was muffled.
Marlene sat on the side of the bed, tugged at the sheets to see Janie’s face.
“I talked to Lila and she said it would be okay for you to come with me today and help. It would be good for you.”
“Good for me?”