Page 46 of Shattered Home

Emmanuel wasn’t in the area and I already knew that I would lose it once again when he reunited with his family. Mina and Sasha were sitting by the fire, their mouths gaping at our entrance.

Murphy and Rainer were the next ones I spotted. The two of them stood side by side, so familiar and yet so different in the weeks that had kept us apart. Their hair was longer, the scruff on their faces thicker. But it was them.

Murphy was the first to shake off the shock of our appearance, leaving Rainer behind and striding toward me with determined steps. My smile spread as he came closer and then, when there was only an inch of space between us, he gripped my cheeks, slanting his mouth over mine.

His lips were soft yet firm against mine, the kiss chaste yet filled with so much emotion. It hadn’t been the reunion I had been expecting and yet it felt right. The connection was short-lived, Murphy pulling away before I could fully enjoy it.

“How are you here?” He asked.

“What happened to you?” Rainer sounded from behind him and I backed away from Murphy’s touch to take in the two of them.

“I’m pretty sure I have Mina to thank for leading us here,” I responded, glancing at Mina, who was making her way over with Sasha.

Once they were near, the two of them pulled me into an embrace, the three of us squeezing each other hard. When we finally broke apart, I looked to Mina with a knowing grin.

“That hazelnut trick was pretty damn smart.”

Her cheeks flushed at my praise, matching the color of her hair. “I had no clue if it would work.”

“Well, it did.”

The five of us stood in a circle for a few moments, nearly all of us smiling, when suddenly Rainer and Murphy drew their guns. For a second, I was confused until I remembered the two men I had left behind.

Stepping in front of the weapons, I held up my hands. “Calm down. They’re with me.”

Rainer arched a brow, refusing to lower his gun, Murphy holding still as well. “Who the hell are they?”

Turning to face Warner and Aiden, I gestured for them to come forward. “This one here is my brother.” I waved a hand at Warner. “And this is Warner, he helped us escape.”

The four men stared each other down. Aiden was the first to break, smiling at the others. I had told him enough about them that he wasn’t threatened they would harm us. Murphy was the next, dropping his gun and reaching out to shake Aiden’s hand.

Warner and Rainer continued to stare at each other, steel in Rainer’s gaze and indifference in Warner’s. It was a battle of wills and honestly, I wouldn’t even know who to put my money on. At the same time, they both shook off the tension, Rainer lowering his gun and introducing himself.

Breathing a sigh of relief that there wasn’t about to be a fight, a startled gasp broke through the air.

“How?” I turned to see Emmanuel standing at the edge of the clearing, a line of fish in his hand.

The fish didn’t last long, dropping to the ground, and then he was rushing his family, scooping the twins into his arms. The family of four embraced each other tightly, whispering hushed words, and then all of their gazes landed on me.

I shifted under the attention, uncomfortable beneath their grateful gazes. Lucas and Stephanie released their parents, skipping over to me and grabbing me into a hug. Elizabeth and Emmanuel followed their children and then I was a part of the embrace, four turning to five.

“Thank you. Thank you for protecting my babies,” Elizabeth murmured against my head, kissing my hair.

“We will never be able to repay you,” Emmanuel said gruffly, his voice choked with tears.

Pulling away from their hold, I shook my head. “You don’t need to repay me, I promised them I’d bring them back to you.”

Emmanuel looked at his kids once more, not a scrape on them, and smiled so brightly it stunned me. The image was identical to the smile in the headshot Vex had and I realized although they didn’t need to repay me, I had questions I needed to ask.

“I’m hungry,” Lucas loudly announced, his quiet streak vanishing now that he had his parents back.

Everyone laughed at his words, ushering the kids, as well as me and the others, toward the fire for some food and water. I was starving myself and I knew that although I had questions, they could wait a day or two. Everyone deserved a moment to relax, to feel safe for the time being. And as I sat around the fire, scarfing down a piece of deer meat I never thought I’d miss, I realized that for now, I did feel safe.

***

After I stuffed my face with food, my body shut down, sleep pulling me under. It was easier to rest when I knew there were plenty of people awake to keep me safe and I welcomed the slumber, knowing my body needed to recover.

However, I couldn’t sleep for long and I was up a few hours later, the sky dark but the fire still burning. Emmanuel and Elizabeth were in the corner of the clearing, soaking up time with their kids. Aiden was speaking with Murphy, Mina, and Sasha, their laughter muted.

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