Chapter 4





Gone....

She's gone...

Nick looked at her sprawled out on the deck of the cruise ship, blood covering her clothes and his. His hands were soaked in it, white shirt spotted with it.

Everything happened in slow motion, people ran over....tried to pull him away but he lay over her body, sobbing. The tears flowed and flowed without sign of stopping. His chest felt tight, as if he'd been stabbed as well. Luckily the ship was docked still and not at sea. The whole time he was being interviewed he felt numb. He barely could get out a reply without it the realization setting in again.

His wife was dead. Taken by a bullet meant for him.

Nick didn't know how he was going to go home alone, he debated staying the rest of his vacation but he couldn't. His heart hurt too much. Nick wished he'd told Tracy he loved her, wished he had been honest. He felt sick as he picked up the phone to call Amanda even though it was very late.



Amanda was sound asleep when the phone began to ring, it was late at night and she'd just fallen asleep about two hours ago.


"Nick? Do you know what time it is?" she said sleepily, not even sitting up in the bed. When she heard him sobbing she woke up fully and walked out of the room so Lance didn't hear the conversation.

"Slow down. What happened?" she asked. Amanda's mouth fell open, Tracy was dead....and Nick was devastated.

"I'm so sorry....are you all right? Are you coming home?"

Lance noticed she had left the bed and heard her on the phone so he decided to listen in.

"You want me to come down and get you?" she asked, not noticing that her husband had appeared in the doorway, watching her. He clenched his fists, glaring at her. Why did Nick have to ruin everything? He was married now....why was he calling here?


"I'm sure Lance will understand, Nick." Amanda said softly, before hanging up the phone.

"Lance will understand what, honey?" Lance whispered from the doorway, causing her to jump in surprise. His green eyes glowed in the shadows as he walked over to her.

"Nick is a wreck.....Tracy was just murdered a few hours ago." Amanda explained. Lance did not respond to this at all, his expression did not change.

"What does that mean to you? He's a big boy now....I am sure he can handle it himself." he said coldly.

"Lance, Tracy is dead. Nick asked me to go down to Aruba and bring him home...he said he can't make the trip back alone."

"Absolutely not, I forbid you." Lance boomed.

"Don't start this shit, Lance. I am not your slave, I can come and go as I please." Amanda screamed after him as her husband left the room. She followed him to the kitchen, her slippers sliding across the tiled floor.

"Amanda, I don't want you to go...what if something happens to you too?" Lance said, putting a look of concern on his face. Amanda knew this was a lie. The two of them were in the middle of a shouting match when suddenly they heard a soft knocking on the front door.

"What the FUCK do you want???" Lance screamed, and a timid looking Brian stood on the porch.

"Um...hi. Could you guys keep it down? I could hear you all the way at my house." Brian said, noticing the look on Lance's face. Amanda shoved her husband in the house before he could say anything and closed the door behind him. She and Brian sat on the porch step, talking about what had happened.

"Yeah, he called me right after he talked to you. I've never heard him so upset before...not since you moved when we were kids." Brian said, looking up at the star filled sky.

"Lance won't let me go...he's always been so jealous of Nick..." Amanda started.

"You have been through so much with Nick...been there through everything with him. He needs you now more than ever. Go to him." Brian told her. Later on that night, Lance lay sleeping in the bedroom as Amanda gathered a few belongings to go to Aruba.

"Sorry, honey." she whispered, kissing him on the cheek before heading to the front door. Lance heard her leave the house and start up the car, feeling so betrayed as he looked at their wedding picture on his night stand. Amanda almost turned back and went inside, but she knew Nick was counting on her and couldn't let him down.