He pressed the pillow tight across his face as he drew in a frustrated breath. The flashing light of the neon sign blinked relentlessly against the mirror making it nearly impossible to sleep – not that he'd been anywhere near sleep in days anyway. Still, the cheap sign, the thin dusty pillows, the cheap, plain furniture – it all just served as another reminder of where he was or rather, where he wasn't.

This was a far cry from the life he'd had just a few weeks ago. It was a lifetime away from the life he'd dreamed of, from the life he'd planned, from the life he deserved. He had it all – the job, the family, the house. It was all his and now it was all gone.

Cameron Brooks had never made anyone proud. His mother had always been annoyed by him. He was an unpleasant addition to their family, the last child in an already crowded family of six other children. His father, already enamored by his two older brothers, barely tolerated him and, by the time Cameron was old enough to want to follow in his footsteps, those footsteps had drastically slowed. As a grown man, he'd vowed to be the pride of his own family, to make his wife and own son proud of him. And he had. At least for a while.

He graduated the top of his class and immediately secured a prestigious position at a top accounting firm. His work ethic and skills moved him up through the ranks quickly and it wasn't long before his salary began to reflect the prestige associated with the position. Gwen wasn't in it for the money though. The two met in college at a mixer long before either of them had any idea of his future earning potential. They'd married just after graduation and Maxton had been born the month before his first big promotion. They'd joked it was their 'banner year'. 'The best year of their life' only it only got better. Every year with his family only got better. They built a beautiful home, a home he had never even allowed himself to dream of. Hours were spent pouring over plans with a contractor. He'd beamed as he'd watched the joy on Gwen's face. Each tiny detail she wanted was carved into the design, the finished project truly reflecting their dream house.

The thin mattress groaned as he sat up and peered out the window. You could barely see that side of town from here. It was a world away, but he could see it in his mind ever time he closed his eyes. He could see the doorway that led into the beautiful sprawling hallway. The artwork Gwen had picked out was hanging on all the walls with Maxton's favorite toys shoved into a wicker basket under the bench. It haunted him – these images. He couldn't help but wonder what had become of this beautiful house, this house he'd planned to grow old in, this house he'd designed with the woman he loved, this house his child had grown up in.

He had to know. He stood and reached from his coat, pulling it tight around him and fastening the buttons. The voice in his head told him to stop, but he'd been tuning that voice out for a long time now.

Phyllis ran the boxcutter down the clear packing tape. She jumped slightly at the sound of her cell phone, her lips curving into a sly smile as she saw the name flash across the screen. "Hey you," she whispered, "I thought you were on your way home hours ago."

Nick closed his eyes as he leaned back in his office chair. He could create such a clear picture of her in his mind, the coy grin on her face, the tilt of her hip and the way she'd turn her head just so. It would be so easy to close the laptop in front of him, forget everyone and everything and just go home to her, but he couldn't … not tonight. "I know," he sighed, "You have no idea how much I wish I could be, but something's come up. One of the deals we've been negotiating for weeks, one of the really big ones, is on the verge of falling apart and the guy only wants to deal with me. If it wasn't such a huge player, I'd blow it off, but this guy is …"

She could hear the frustration in his voice. It was nice to feel wanted, to know that someone actually regarded her as a priority and felt badly when they weren't able to follow through on their word. "It's alright." He deserved the leniency. For the past several days, he'd been leaving work and coming home to another full time job. They'd unpacked box after box that they both insisted must be multiplying before finally giving up and turning in for the night under the guise of being exhausted and needing sleep. Which of course, they never got. It didn't matter though. They existed on exhilaration, happiness, and total satisfaction.

"I hate it though. I do. I told you I'd be home and that we'd get those last few boxes finished up so that maybe one night soon we could do other things instead of unpacking." He found himself smiling too. The simple of act of talking to her relaxed him. For the past few hours, he'd been arguing and negotiating and his neck and shoulders were killing him, but in a few simple minutes the stress had seemingly melted away. She had that effect on him. She always had.

"You're the big Kahuna," she giggled. "You've got to handle things. If you don't do it, it doesn't get done. I understand."

"I guess you do." He lowered his voice seductively. "You're the …" He paused … "What's the female version of that … Kahunaess?"

She laughed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't, but I'll check on that and maybe I'll see if I can figure out what the appropriate attire is for such a position. Perhaps I'll surprise you with it later." She didn't need to see his face to imagine his reaction in exceptional detail. The idea made her laugh out loud.

He cleared his throat as he adjusted the chair. "Well, now that's not fair. How am I supposed to concentrate on business with an image like that in my head?"

"Maybe that'll speed up the negotiations?" she purred.

"I can promise you that." He let a slow breath leave his lips as he imagined her again, in his house, waiting for him. "I'll be home as soon as I can, okay?"

"I know you will. I'll be here." She ended the call with a smile on her face and walked over to the window. The lights of car flashed bright into the window as she pulled the curtains closed. It wasn't unusual for cars to slow on this road. This house was striking and often made drivers pause.

This driver though, the one that pulled off to the side of the road and stopped, the one who reached into the back seat and pulled the black duffel bag into the passenger seat beside him, he had no plans of passing by.