Page 24 of Unchained

Three months later…

“Emberly, I need you to run over to the Brinkley house for a showing.”

As soon as Mike mentions the place, a wave of sadness settles over me. That place holds too many memories. Memories of the people I care about. These last few months have been miserable. Not only did I lose Trevor, but Shayla and Kai were taken into Witness Protection. My brother was worried that Estavio’s men would come after them, so I haven’t seen or spoken to them either. And I’m not sure when I’ll be able to. Bryson has been so tight-lipped about everything, but he says it’s because there are too many listening ears.

“I’m busy this afternoon, Mike. I don’t think I can squeeze it in. Sorry.”

“Shall we talk about how you left the door unlocked and a murder took place on the property? The way I see it, you owe me, Em. That place is never going to sell now, and I may lose the listing.”

First of all, he’s the one who left the door unlocked. Although, I’m happy he did because it led me to Trevor. But Mike’s determined to hold the threat of destroying my career over my head. It’s the only reason I’ve stayed working for him. To ensure my name isn’t smeared through the mud.

“Fine, I’ll go show it. But if they write up a contract, it’s mine.”

“Fine,” he agrees. He knows there’s no chance in hell that’s ever going to happen so it’s an easy concession on his part, but at least I stood my ground.

When I pull up to the old Brinkley house, my stomach twists into a knot. It’s not the memory of the last day here that brings the dreaded feeling, it’s the memories of the laughter that the four of us shared. It truly felt like we were a happy family, spending time together, cherishing every moment.

A car pulls in behind mine. One with dark tinted windows and looks way too fancy to be showing up at this run-down place. But maybe it’s an investor and he wants to tear the thing down and build a multi-unit complex.

I climb out, taking in a deep breath. As soon as I’m done with this client, I’ll be going home for the day. Whatever paperwork I needed to get done or errands I needed to run for this Sunday’s open house will have to wait until the tears stop.

The fancy car’s door opens, and I see a red high heel step down. Okay, I wasn’t expecting to be meeting a female. Whoever she is, is well-put-together and definitely not going to be interested in this house. When she turns, the onslaught of emotion hits. I stare with my jaw nearly hitting the floor as Shayla rushes to me. She wraps me up in a hug, both of us squeezing tight. Both of us in tears.

“Mom, it’s my turn.”

I pull back when I hear Kai’s voice, sounding strong and solid. His handsome face looks a million times brighter than the last time I saw him. He looks happy. I reach for him, hugging him close to us, giving him the biggest squeeze. “I missed you, buddy. Missed you both so much.”

“We missed you too,” his mom says through her tears.

“So, does this mean you two are safe now?” I assumed they’d be in hiding forever, forced to live in another country or another state, but here they are. In the light of day. No disguise. No security team. Just the two of them and their fancy ride.

“Yes. We’ve been told that everyone assumed we were murdered by Rodriguez. When we went missing, none of his men questioned it, and the rumor spread fast that he’d burned our bodies. Your brother assured us that we can live our lives now. Though, we do have to assume new identities. Our new names are Linley and Cooper Mackey.”

I reach for them again, giving them another hug. “I’m so happy to see you both. You have no idea. I’ve been barely getting through.”

“Have you spoken to my brother?” Shayla asks. I pull back, shaking my head.

“No. And my brother can barely tell me anything. The only thing he can say is that Trevor is alive and unharmed.”

“Yeah, he didn’t give me much either. But knowing that Bryson is working on the case is very reassuring.”

She obviously trusts my brother, which is good to know since I know she doesn’t trust easily.

“So, did you intentionally set this showing up to meet with me?” Mike didn’t let on that I was specifically requested to do the showing. He just made it seem like he couldn’t get out of his poker game this afternoon and needed me to do him the favor.

“We want to buy this place, Em. This house was our safe haven and holds some of the best memories we both have, so we wanted to fix it up and make it our home.”

“It’s so overpriced, Shay. I mean, Linley.”

She shrugs. “Don’t care what it costs. My idiot of a husband was hiding millions of dollars in accounts with my name on them. Now, all that money belongs to me.”

So, after all the pain and struggle she went through, there is a silver lining after all. “I still think we should write the offer at eight hundred and see what happens.” Now that there’s been a murder on the property, Mr. Brinkley isn’t as attached as he once was. In fact, he’s now worried it’s never going to sell. “Do you want to go inside and see the place again?”

“Sure.” She smiles.

As we make our way inside, I brace myself for the pain. But thankfully, with Shay and Kai both at my sides, it doesn’t strike as hard. The man who owns my heart may not be here, but I no longer feel so alone. My family has returned, and they’re only going to be living a mile away from me.

CHAPTER 20