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  HER HIDDEN PAST

  By Michela DiMarco

  Copyright ©2013 by Michela DiMarco

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored or transmitted in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Inquiries should be addressed to:

  Michela DiMarco

  [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN: 978-1490472027

  First Edition

  I’d like to thank my parents, my family and friends for their unconditional support and belief in me. Vincent and Sandra Abatemarco. Vinny Abatemarco. Andrea Rossbach, David Rossbach, Provie Jendusa. Rose Abatemarco. The Kaiser Family. The Riedl Family. The Abatemarco Family. The Jendusa Family. The Samat Family. The Galante Family. Pilar Hagey: my biffer. I keep writing because of your love and encouragement.

  I’d like to thank my grandfather, Michael Abatemarco, for being my namesake. I miss you every day.

  Thank you to Paige Hagey, for always being a light in my life. I’m so proud to be your God Mother.

  And, to Carly Riedl…because I said I would.

 

 

  CHAPTER 1

  Amber Cole gazed out the window of the Chevrolet Suburban as it sped down the highway. Brief flashes of light reflected off her face every couple of seconds, but there was nothing but darkness between the lights. It was the same gloom that flowed through every inch of her, as if she had swallowed a bad glass of water.

  She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Shuddering, she turned to her right. “We’ll be there soon,” Rachel murmured. Amber glared at her in the darkness. She hated how Rachel tried to comfort her when she was taking her away from the only thing that she wanted—her family.

  A tear fell down Amber’s cheek; her body felt chilly and unstable. She pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned against the door. With her eyes tired and dry from crying, she closed them, trying to remember what had happened up until this very moment. The shadows consumed her once again, but this time all she could hear in the back of her mind was her mother screaming.

  Rachel touched her shoulder once more. Amber turned yet again, her eyes much colder than before. It was difficult to sit there and hide the fact that she felt ready to explode from the inside out. Rachel’s blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she applied ChapStick to her lips as she whispered, “It will be okay.”

  “Okay?” Amber mumbled. “Nothing will ever be okay.” She closed her eyes again and gripped her knees tightly. This time, she heard nothing but silence. She supposed it was better that way.

  A few minutes later, the black Suburban came to a stop next to a plane parked at a landing field. The tiny private airport was lit like a festival. By the time Amber looked up, Rachel was already out of the car. Her own car door opened, and Amber nearly fell out, held in only by her seatbelt. The FBI agent did not say a word as he helped her from the back seat. There were at least eight people wearing black suits staring at her. She felt the hand on her back guide her toward the plane. Amber hesitated, still unsure of where she going, but before she had a chance to speak, Rachel appeared at her side.

  “It’s okay, I’m going with you,” she said.

  “Going where?” Amber asked, frightened.

  After a brief pause, Rachel responded. “We’re taking you to your new home.”

  Amber could feel the anger swelling inside. She was outraged at the preposterous idea of leaving California. “Now? But . . . I already have a home!” She was shouting as she tried to fight back tears. “What about my family?”

  “I know this is a lot to take in, and although it seems unfair to you, we have to go, right now. Let’s just get on the plane, and then we can sit down and talk about it.”

  Amber glared toward the plane with skepticism and anger. She walked cautiously up the stairs that lead to the open cabin door. How could this have happened to her? Two weeks ago, she was happy. She had a family who loved her and friends who adored her. And now, she was sneaking onto an airplane in the middle of the night. It was almost too much to comprehend, and she lacked the energy to fight it. She didn’t know why, but despite the fact that she didn’t like Rachel, Amber trusted her and agreed to board the plane.

  The Gulfstream 250 was like no aircraft Amber had ever been on. She walked past two sets of reclining chairs before settling down onto the plush beige suede of a couch in the back of the cabin. Although it was a sickly color, it was welcoming. Rachel set her bag down on one of the recliners across from Amber. She retrieved a pill bottle from her bag and grabbed a bottle of water.

  “This will help you sleep,” said Rachel as she opened the bottle and handed Amber two white pills. The girl washed them down with a sip of water. This was not the first time she had been given these pills. They had been helping her sleep for a long time, and sleeping was the only time she didn’t feel pain. Part of her tried to fight the sleep because she was uncertain where she would be when she woke up, but her eyes burned. She finally closed them to get some relief, and was fast asleep before the plane even lifted into the air.