Page 4 of Unspoken Promises

His hard work funded mine.

I hook a left where the pastures end and a small woodland begins to join up the ring road we put in, allowing for ease of passage around our gated land. The shade of the trees offers two degrees of relief, but instead of relaxing into it, I pump harder, reciting mantras in my mind to get me working through the sweat. I pass one of our security patrol cars where two guards wearing Army fatigues sit on the hood having a chat. One lifts his coffee cup as a good morning. I salute him but don’t slow down.

Through the winding paths of our trees, I push hard. I’ve been running the loop around our land for years, and still, it never ceases to amaze me that it all started with four broke boys from a fledgling ranch in New Mexico. I never let a day pass where I don’t express extreme gratitude, thank God for it all, because I know how good things can be taken away. Monarch Hills and the rest of this ranch? It’s more than a good thing. It’s a dream. A place for all our family to call home. Asafeplace where nobody can ever hurt the people I love.

As I exit the woods and reach the far edges of the lawns and gardens around the back of my brother, Santiago’s, house, I wind through the paved roads that make up our small gated community. Here, on the ranch, our wider family has everything it needs. We built six houses for all five siblings and my father. We have stables, paddocks, arenas and gallops, a swimming pool and clubhouse, agym… everything is here, behind these walls, in the arms of safety.

Maybe one day I’ll actuallyfeelsafe. More importantly, rest, knowing the ones I love are. No matter how hard I try, I’ve never felt that way. Maybe, no matter how many bad guys we catch at GhostEye, the scars of the past are just too deep. But I keep trying. And I always will.

By the time I reach my own front door, to a house I argued is way too big, sweat droplets drip down my neck. I open the door with my code, leaving steamy fingerprints on the pad. I’ll never get used to morning heat.

I’ll also never get used to living in this enormous house Rio insisted we build.

None of us boys have settled down. But Rio reminded us all these homes aren’t just about us. They’re about future generations, and hopefully, even though we’re getting past those years of children and wives, the Mendez line will keep going somehow.

Not that I’ve tried very hard to start a relationship; GhostEye is my child. It’s my creation and legacy. There might be hope for Santi. Or Gabriel, and at least my sister has one kid and another on the way. Someone has to placate my father and the spirit of my mother.

I make my way into the bathroom and turn the dial, the rushing spray of water a welcome sound. Bracing myself on the counter, I let my head fall, waiting for the shower to warm up.That trainer really is kicking my ass.

Just then, my cell rings in my shorts pocket. I slide my cell out, and the screen is lit up with my younger brother’s name:Santi.

All looked calm when I ran through the stable yard, but he mentioned one of his thoroughbred yearlings has colic. Not that he needs me to solve problems like that.

I answer. “You all right?”

“Yeah, all good here but…”

He lets out a rough breath, and I can tell whatever it is he’s about to say, he doesn’t want to.

“I forgot to tell you something.”

Big surprise.

I reach my hand in to feel the water is heating up.

“Do you remember that college kid who just won the hacking contest?”

It’s practically a rhetorical question because she won it only days ago, and all my brothers knew I’ve been simmering over it ever since sending her thecongratulationsemail. It’s not uncommon for tech companies to hold open and on-going hacking competitions to test the security of their systems. We’ve had an open entry available to white hat hackers for just over six months now.

Not a single murmur, let alone a hack happened in all that time, and there were hundreds of entrants. I thought we were foolproof.

Until Ava Scott.

Hearing of her success was like being able to kiss and kill someone at the same time.

“Mmm,” is all I can respond, because thoughts of Ava and the hack are too complicated for words.

The sound of horseshoes clicking on pavement echoes behind Santi. “She’s coming today.”

I repeat the word like I misheard him. “Today?”

“Yeah, sorry I forgot to tell you yesterday. She called and asked if she could take the job early.”

I puff air out of my nostrils. “Today isn’t early, man, it’s…”Fuck.

Ava’s reward is ten thousand dollars, a contract, and accommodation for three months. But it’s September. Iexpected Ava here in May or June after graduation. What the hell is this request about? Instant employment? Call one day, expect to arrive the next?

And of course Santi said yes. I’m not surenois in his vocabulary.

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