Theyd never caught the man whod taken Fiona. Theyd never even found her body. It had left an open wound in Morgans heart and it had killed their parents. His father had died of a heart attack the following year and two years after that his mother had succumbed to cancer. On the surface, it was all unrelated. As a doctor who tried to look at the whole patient, he was way too aware that there was more to it than that. He was convinced his father had died of a broken heart and that his mother had let grief poison her very blood.

What was he doing here? What was the point of any of it?

He felt empty inside. He needed contact with someone. He fished his phone out of his pocket and let his finger hover the button that would call Ashley.

He let his hand drop. No. He wouldnt make matters worse by burdening Ashley with his existential crisis.

Hed already made her life difficult enough. Christ, he hadnt gotten those papers notarized yet, either. Maybe tomorrow.

When Fiona had disappeared, he had thrown himself into his career. Hed been driven before. People dont get into medical school and persevere through the grueling training without having drive and ambition. Hed kicked it up to a whole new level then and that was how hed led his life since.

Lexas murder was hitting him in much the same way as Fionas disappearance had. He felt that same emptiness inside, the same questioning of what his purpose was, the same despair. Throwing himself into his work no longer seemed like the answer, though.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Its dark. A rattling sound behind him makes Morgan whirl. Nothing is behind him, though. Just an empty street. The wind chases loose leaves down the alley, their path leaving a slight scent of decay behind them. The Dumpster is ahead of him on his left. Lexas feet peek out from behind the rusted metal, a startling bit of color in the grayed out moonlight hes navigating by.

He races to her. A sheet already covers most of her body. He whips it off her face and leaps back, gasping. Its not Lexa. Its Fiona, lying broken and bleeding behind the Dumpster.

A siren sounds startling him.

Morgan sat up, heart pounding, sweat coating his body. He wasnt in an alley behind a Dumpster. He was in his apartment, in his own bed, and there was no siren. Just his phone ringing.

Ashley.

He sighed. He should let her find him a damn notary. Theyd both be happier in the end. He picked up the phone. Sorry, he said.

There was a moment of silence. I accept your apology, but I want to be sure you know what youre apologizing for. That was Ashley. She liked her is dotted and her ts crossed.