BENEDICT
The rain had just started to fall when the Thorne family chauffeur pulled the sleek black sedan through the wrought-iron gates of the estate.
Behind us, the chaos of the beach house was miles away, but the ghost of it lingered in the heavy air of the car. The ambulance had already sped off toward the regional medical center, sirens wailing into the morning fog, taking Nathan with two fractured ribs, a shattered jaw, and his shattered ego. Valerie, Maya, and Jade had followed right behind the paramedics in the SUV. Luke and James had taken off separately, driving Elena back home.
I sat in the back seat, staring out at the blurred green trees passing by. My right knuckles were bruised purple, skin split and raw, but I didn't care about the sting. My mind was entirely consumed
