Prologue

"Nooo" thirteen years old René screamed while looking down the cliff where a car had just suffered a very terrible accident.

She immediately ran to the edge of the cliff and stopped as for the scene shown before her pair of dark eyes. Everywhere around the car was caught up in flames as the fire men tries to extinguish it from up there.

She took several steps forward until her right foot was dangling on air, just then the town's sheriff and two paramedics stopped her from going any further by dragging her back. She fought through the strong arms with the aim of joining the death ride.

"No please let me go" René screamed in a high pitched voice.

"Hey" the sheriff whispered then took her in his warm embrace.

"What happened to them, are they alright? Please let me go meet them they're in danger" she whispered back to the sheriff with whom she's familiar with.

"I'm sorry kiddo but you can't. They're gone" he replied in a husky but shaky voice holding back the urge to let a tear escape from his blue eyes. Slowly he backed away and said "if I leave now promise you won't do anything stupid" he squatted down to her hight and pinned her with his gaze. Slowly but surely she nodded and the well known man stood to his full hieght with his hands on either side of her shoulders.

She turned back though her eyes were still plastered on the hazardous car which had obviously suffered a great deal of somersaults and eventually landed upside down with the windows broken. Suddenly the car exploded with a boom and was shattered into a million pieces right in front of her tear stained face. Right then she knew there was no chance of survival.

She faced front not able to look again and walked with officer Wells by her side hand in hand. It also gave her time to now notice her vicinity, closely studying everywhere. First the fire men are trying all they could to stop the new fire from spreading across the forest trees.

The paramedics are treating the injured pedestrians who had just been lucky enough to get out of the way before the car could hit them.

And also the police and detectives are both trying to get statement from the pedestrians about what happened.

René came to a halt to tired and depressed to continue and sat on the floor. Before pulling her knees close to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. She stared into space while tunning out all the noise while going through her memories. A crowd had already gathered, luckily the police taped everywhere as a crime scene and did thier best to stop the nosy citizens from intruding.

Officer Wells looked at her with sympathy and hurt in his eyes then left her alone to go talk with his colleges. He knew she needed sometime alone. i hope everything turns out for you he thought as he stood in front of his long time friend lieutenant Shea.

They both did high school and went to NYU and got a degree in criminal and both decided to be a cop. Lieutenant Shea was jealous of his best friend but never in his life has he envied him. why wouldn't anybody envy him, Casper Wells was the perfect cop, perfect son, perfect husband, perfect student, perfect father. He had everything that Shea couldn't have but to only dream of having it. The only flaw he had was his temper, it wasn't bad enough to kill or hurt someone but he could say things that wasn't meant to be said out loud.

Even though lieutenant Shea had gone to the army and Wells didn't, in a way Wells was better. It was clear and everyone knew it.

"Wow that kid must be taking it real hard huh?" Lieutenant Shea inquired.

"Yeah" Casper responded quietly sad about his loss.

"Cheer up, look I'm sorry but you have to stay strong at least if not for yourself but for her" without looking he pointed to where René's body is. "She needs all the support she can get" he offered Wells a smile and he returned it but it wasn't reaching his eyes.

"Thanks"

"No problem" though Wells was better than Shea, Shea never took it against Wells. They both stared at renny for a moment in comfortable silence until officer Sanjay came running towards them from the other side.

"Sir I've got news" he spoke up and looked up only at Casper who is a few inches taller.

"Yes what is it" Wells asked curiously

"We found a woman in a car and she was armed with a pistol and apparently some witnesses told us that before the car crashed down they heard a gunshot and they all agreed that after the gunshot the car went beserk swerving from one direction to another then also the front right tire looked more flattened than the other".

After Wells carefully took it all in he nodded before asking "have you caught the woman".

"Yes sir".

"And do you know her name" Shea cut in

"Yes sir we searched her and found her wallet with her drivers license in it which said Phoebe Rodriguez".

For a minute the time stood still.

"What!" Wells snapped. Shea also looked shocked to hear it. Before Sanjay could even think of saying anything there was a line of vans and cars coming down the street most of the vans had an antenna on them which meant he had company.

Doors began to slam as news reporters came out with thier mics and cameramen. They walked through the crowd which created space for them. They finally succeeded in reaching front they turned and started delivering thier stories live. Wells expression of sadness turned into rage, he knew they were thirsty for information and the only way of getting some is by harassing the little girl.

"Who called them here"Casper growled out.

"I-I-I don't k-know s-sir" Sanjay stuttered instantly fearful of Wells sudden change of expression, his warm blue eyes turned darker his face looked menacing and his jaw clenching with his fists balled up making his knuckles turn white.

And as if the drama wasn't over, there was a series of shouts and screams coming from the back of the ambulance.

"Let me go, he deserved it, he had to pay, I just wanted to get Justice. I said let me go" emerging out was a recognizable beautiful but petite woman in her early twenties with dark eyes and brunette hair just like René's. This now got everyone's attention including the crowds and reporters. Silence descended on the scene. renny was the only one who didn't seem to notice as her eyes are still open and lost while tears slid down her cheeks.

"Th-th-that's her Phoebe Rodriguez" officer Sanjay stuttered again. She continued to scream until her eyes landed on René alone by herself, she stopped struggling and after that it was deadly silent. René still sat there oblivious to what's happening.

Phoebe managed to break free and run towards renny with the police on her trail. Wells instincts for needing to protect her kicked in instantly and ran to take renny away.

"Please ren forgive me . I did it for the best, your father is a cheater he didn't deserve any of you. You don't have to ever worry, I stopped him before he can hurt anyone else, he is gone"

"Why" René whispered looking at her. but she didn't get an answer instead before Phoebe could touch her Casper held her hand back.

"Don't ever touch her" he spat cuffing her hands at her back so quick she couldn't even register. The police held her much tightly this time while she continues to struggle and scream under thier tight grips.

"No let me go, he deserved it non of you would have done anything, I did the right thing" that was the last thing they heard before she was shoved into the car. Renny was too shocked to comprehend.

She knew right from that night she had lost everything. She couldn't get them back.

"Let's go" Wells took her on his back walking away from the prying eyes

"Why?" she whispered in the distance looking up the sky, officer Wells just pretended that he didn't hear it and was also asking that same question.

WHY?

Hey guys thanks for reading this book I'm so happy that I get to finally start it and I can only hope to finish soon.

Dedicated to Hattie McAllister.