Page 66 of Ensnared By Silence
“If you didn’t go to that house to save her and find what they were doing, you wouldn’t have been able to save me.”
“I feel like I abandoned you,” Devlin muttered.
“You didn’t even know. But we do now, and that’s all the matters. Not what happened over ten years ago.”
Elise linked her hand with mine and admitted, “I feel like by saving me, you were sacrificed.”
“By saving you, I was found.”
She smiled at me, and I turned back to Devlin, asking with intense curiosity, “I remembered you last night when you were yelling at Tucker, and I was afraid I was going crazy, but it really was you who killed them and set me free.” He nodded, and I asked, “What were you looking for?”
He glanced at James, who nodded, and he rested his forearms on his knees as he explained, “I was able to destroy any evidence of what happened to you, but I knew they had to have a way to record and store it. I wanted to make sure they didn’t send it to anyone else.” He sat back and smirked. “What I found was a wiped clean laptop and no evidence of their crimes.”
I smiled and lifted one corner of my mouth as I asked, “What would you do if you had the evidence you needed to punish the people who were involved?”
“I’d destroy every single person and watch them burn,” he replied, and I looked at James, who shrugged.
Reaching into my backpack, I pulled out the old stuffed bull I’d had since before I could remember and placed him in my lap.
“Oh my God!” James exclaimed. “You have Bulley.”
I looked at the matted bull and smiled at him. “It was the only toy I had growing up and the only thing I took that night. Was he yours before she sent you away?”
He nodded and his eyes turned soft as I stood and handed it to him. He smiled down at the small stuffed animal before his gaze turned confused. Lifting his eyes to mine, he looked back down and inspected the animal. Soon, he found the repaired rip on his belly and asked, “Can I?”
Elise and Devlin sat confused as I smiled and nodded. James reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, flicking the blade open with a snap of his wrist and making a small cut through the fur. He pushed his finger into the fluffy insides and pulled out the small thumb drive I tucked inside all those years ago.
He lifted it between two fingers and his gaze met mine. “Is this the contents of the empty computer Devlin found?”
“I copied everything I could find, but I’ve never opened a single file. Afterward, I deleted everything and dumped the trash. Not high tech, but effective,” I replied, and Devlin chuckled.
“You are so much like James, it’s scary. You know that, right?”
“That’s the best complement anyone ever gave me.” I smiled and my brother stood from the chair.
I joined him and heard Elise and Devlin stand from their seats. James placed the small bull back in my hands and I tugged it to my chest. “I’m glad he was there to save you.”
“I’m glad a part of you was always there to protect me.” The tears fell, and I was pulled into a powerful hug.
I wrapped my arms around my brother’s chest and smiled as I realized I would never be alone again.
