Elle Kennedy - Her Private Avenger

That’s why. Her mother’s words, the plea she’d made before she died, that’s why Morgan made the choices she had.

But that didn’t make it any easier. She knew she’d hurt Quinn, but she hadn’t imagined the extent of the pain she’d caused him.

“Thanks for making that clear,” she finally said, her voice as stiff as her shoulders. “I’ll refrain from bringing up the past, if it makes you so uncomfortable.”

With that, the conversation came to a screeching halt. Morgan glued her gaze to the window, watching the scenery whiz by. Tall pine trees lined both sides of the road, along with the naked skeletons of the oaks that had shed their leaves for the winter. The abundance of trees told her they were nearing Autumn. She’d loved growing up there, at least when her mom had been alive. Their estate rested on the edge of a forest, and during the summers she and Tony enjoyed hiking and exploring the woods.

Layla came along on their hikes, too, though not often. Tony had the annoying habit of teasing Morgan’s best friend mercilessly when they were growing up, so Layla avoided him whenever she could.

Layla. Just thinking about her friend brought another jolt of pain to Morgan’s belly. Layla’s bones had been found in that forest. Not near the Kerr estate, closer to the outskirts of town. Whoever killed her buried her in the woods. Left her there to rot.

Morgan’s throat tightened. Her friend hadn’t deserved to die like that.

“We’re here,” Quinn said, breaking the silence.

Yep, they sure were. Morgan glanced at the bright green sign with the words Welcome to Autumn, experiencing a knot of trepidation. It was a familiar feeling, one she suffered each time she came home over the past ten years. And after what happened on her last visit, her anxiety levels were at an alltime high.

Quinn slowed the SUV as they drove into Autumn. It was past one o’clock in the morning, and the town was dark, but even bathed in darkness, it held an unmistakable charm. Quaint shops and little brick buildings lined each side of Main Street, the sidewalks were cobblestone, and old-fashioned lampposts stood proudly along the street. An enormous yellow banner had been strung from two lampposts on opposite ends of the street, advertising the annual winter festival the town held each November.

Quinn glanced at the banner. “What exactly are sapsicles?” he asked warily.

She bit back a laugh. “Maple syrup Popsicles, snow cones, too. Old Mr. McMurty sells them at the festival every year.”

He made a face. “Hope the town has a good dentist. I imagine the rate of sapsicle-related cavities is quite high.”

“Still living sugar-free, I see,” she said drily.

He raised a brow in her direction. “I’m thirty-two years old and cavity-free. Can you say the same?”

Morgan hid another smile, then grew annoyed with herself for even feeling the urge to show mirth after the way he’d spoken to her earlier. So what if Quinn still avoided sweets? So what if she’d teased him mercilessly about it in the past? This wasn’t the past. As he’d so candidly told her, the past was over. And the future held nothing for them.

Tears stung her eyes. She quickly blinked, forcing the traitor ous tears to retreat.

“Turn left at this stop sign coming up,” she said, wincing at the hoarseness of her voice.

Fortunately, Quinn didn’t seem to notice how close to breaking down she actually was. He followed her directions, turning left, then right, then following the dark asphalt road she indicated.

She’d never brought him home before. As they pulled onto the winding driveway leading to the Kerr estate, Morgan wondered how he would react to the house. When they were together, she was always careful not to talk too much about her wealth. Quinn had been carted from foster home to foster home growing up, and his less than luxurious upbringing often made her feel guilty.

A pair of enormous wrought-iron gates greeted them at the end of the drive. Since the gates were always locked tight and required a code on the keypad in order to part, Morgan’s body stiffened when she found the gates gaping open.

“What the…” Her jaw hardened, her eyes suddenly focusing on the car parked on the circular driveway in front of the mansion.

Quinn drove through the open gates and shot her a wry look. “Can you honestly say you’re surprised? Your father’s a smart man—he knew precisely where you wanted to go.”

“I still can’t believe him.” She met Quinn’s gaze with a frown, then glanced back at the police cruiser sitting ominously on the smooth pavement.

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