Page 64 of Redemption's Inferno

“I, er, we, um…” She faltered, caught entirely off guard. “We had a falling out. He left. We haven’t spoken since…well, almost two months.”

“What are you talking about?” Dolores demanded. “At Christmas, he was asking my opinion about buying you a ring!”

“No…” Emilie said sadly. “I haven’t seen or spoken to him since early December. I’m sorry he lied to you.”

Dolores was quiet. “What aren’t you telling me, child? My boy wouldn’t lie to me about a broken relationship! And I left him a message that my house was robbed—why didn’t he call me back? Tell me what’s happening!”

Emilie’s excitement faded quickly. If his mother had left Chains a message that the house had been robbed and he hadn’t called back, that meant he couldn’t. Which was what she’d feared all along.

“I’m sorry, Dolores, but I really don’t know where he is. Are you okay? Was much taken?”

“It was just Darryl’s room,” she said quietly. “They were looking for something, I’m just not sure what. Tore it apart, they did. He’d left behind a lot of mementos from the military—photos, postcards, his dog tags, the like. They ripped apart the photo albums, as if they were looking for one specific-like.” She paused. “And I think I inadvertently saved it.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was a picture of a friend—his American friend that died. Name was Shay Gentry…what a handsome lad he was…anyway, I was plannin’ to make him one of those shadow box things, with his dog tags, his medals, his things, and in the back I was planning to have the picture of him and Shay enlarged, repaired a bit. But the lab got delayed over the holidays and I hadn’t gotten to picking it up yet. It’s still at the photo lab.”

Emilie was frowning now. Why did that name sound familiar? She couldn’t put her finger on it but it was literally right on the edge of her tongue. “Mum, could you send me that picture? Can you overnight it with FedEx? I’ll send you the money if—”

“Don’t be silly, child! If you think it’ll help, I’ll send it straight away. Lab’s closed today, but I’ll pick it up tomorrow and send it out.”

“Thank you.”

“Emilie?”

“Yes?”

“You just called me Mum—are ye all right? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“I’m…I just miss him, but I’ll be all right. I love you. And don’t worry about Chains—I’m going to find out why he didn’t call you.” She disconnected and sat staring at a picture they’d taken one night just before he disappeared. They’d gone to dinner and he’d snapped a selfie, saying she looked like a woman in love, and he’d been right; she’d never looked more alive than she looked in that picture and it was because of that wonderful man next to her. If he was still breathing, she was going to find him and bring him home.

* * *

Emilie had been keeping her distance from Karl and Kate because she’d already been unable to keep secrets from Viggo and Jamie, so she was pretty sure her brother would worm it out of her fairly easily. However, the girls were going to a spa on Valentine’s Day and she hadn’t been able to weasel out of it. There was a big group of them going and with the baby just weeks away from being full term, her feet had begun to swell and her face was dry and pale. She didn’t have it in her to protest anymore, so she let them drag her along.

Sitting in the big comfortable pedicure chair, the massage function soothing her tight muscles and the laughter of her friends somewhat comforting, she found herself dozing off. She was half-asleep when she heard Kate laughing with her friend Erin, who was also married to one of the Sidewinders.

“…whatever you say, Major Gentry!” Kate snorted. “You know damn well you’re never leaving the military completely.”

Emilie’s eyes popped open and she leaned forward. “Major Gentry! Who’s Major Gentry?”

Erin glanced over at her, frowning. “I am. I mean, I’m technically Major Riser now since I legally changed my name when I married Drake, but my last name was Gentry when I was active in the military. Why?”

“I, you…” Emilie struggled to form a sentence. “I need my purse!” she announced loudly, looking around at the attendants. “Can someone please get my purse? It’s very important.”

Her friends were looking at her as if she’d grown horns and a tail, but one of the attendants obligingly took her locker key and returned a moment later with her purse. Emilie dug inside and pulled out the picture she’d received from Dolores nearly two weeks ago. She handed it to Erin.

“I need you to tell me if you know the men in this picture,” Emilie whispered.

Erin frowned as she took it. “I…oh my gosh, where did you get this?”

“Just tell me who’s in the picture, please. It’s very important.”

Erin narrowed her eyes but nodded. “Well, duh, that’s Chains, isn’t it? Without dreads? And next to him is Shay Gentry, my late ex-brother-in-law and my best friend in the world.” She met Emilie’s eyes. “Where did you get this? And how did they know each other? Was this in Iraq?”

“I don’t know for sure, but yes, I think so.” Emilie’s thoughts were racing.

“Emilie? What’s going on?” Kate asked softly.

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