Page 2 of Mine to Protect

“You filed that report with the Jacksonville County Sheriff’s office, right?” Emmerson asked.

She nodded.

“And what did they do?”

She shrugged. “Not much of anything.”

“What did you tell them?”

“I told them that Chris and I speak almost every day, even if it’s just in text. When he goes off-grid, that’s when I know he’s using. But he hasn’t done that in five years. They told me there wasn’t much they could do.”

“That was the last time he used drugs?” Emmerson asked. “That you know of.”

“Yes.” The irony in that statement had her head spinning. After she’d left Key West, she’d stared at her phone for months, waiting for Rhett’s call. But it never came. She’d written in her journal about her time with him and what it meant to her, and how those memories filled her heart.

She wrote about how she wished she had the courage to call him but couldn’t. Not because she thought a woman shouldn’t call a man—that would be silly and stupid. But a part of Rhett seemed untouchable. Unreachable.

He’d closed off a piece of his heart to her—to the world—and that scared her because it was the piece that made a person whole.

She knew because she couldn’t share that part of herself either.

She’d tried for three weeks and failed.

But those days in Key West…she could forget her troubles. Forget about her father and brother and focus on nothing but losing herself in the fantasy she’d created with Rhett. It had been like being on a romantic adventure created by a romance writer. It had a beginning. It had a middle. And it had an ending.

Only it didn’t have the happily ever after.

But she had the memories. She often looked back on those three weeks and knew that it was what love and life were supposed to be like—couldbe like if she were anyone else.

As a little girl, she’d dreamt of having a boyfriend that would come and sweep her off her feet and take her away from all her troubles.

But that could never happen for her, and not only because of her brother. So many things in life ended up getting in the way of true love. She kept telling herself that she’d chase that dream someday.

But when the right man came along, it’d happened at the worst possible time.

“Has the Jacksonville Police Department followed up?”

“I’ve checked in with them.” Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to be as detailed in their questioning, listening, or how they responded. One of the cops knew her brother from his using days.

That hadn’t helped.

“We’d like to speak with the officer who took the report and see what they’ve been doing.”

She let out a short laugh. “I’m sorry, but they aren’t doing anything to investigate it. They even told me he was probably on a bender and would show up when he needed money. Unfortunately, my brother has a long history with our local law enforcement, and it’s not positive. Though, as I said, he’s been clean for five years.” She felt like she needed to repeat that, and not just to herself.

“Regardless, we’ll want to check with them.” Emmerson gave her a reassuring nod and glanced around. “This room is in shambles. Does your brother normally live like this?”

“No. He’s a neat freak—when he’s sober.”

Emmerson wrote something in his notepad.

A noise caught her attention, and she glanced over her shoulder. Her breath hitched. Her pulse raced out of control like a fish flopping on a dock, desperate to get back in the water. A rush of heat coated her skin as if she’d been hit with a hose filled with fire.

Rhett Kirby stood in the hotel room’s doorway. He wore a pair of dark jeans, boots, and a black T-shirt. He pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head, taking some of his long, thick, wavy hair with them. He smiled. It seemed as if he focused only on her, and that made the room spin.

“Hey, Shelby,” he said in a low voice. It rumbled from his throat and flowed through the air, landing on her muscles and rippling across them like a soft breeze.

She opened her mouth as if to taste his essence, then swallowed. “Hi,” she managed in a whisper. Visions of learning how to surf and laughing so hard her belly hurt appeared in her head. Rhett had absorbed all the pain that’d filled her mind and soul five years ago. He’d given her an outlet for her fears. He’d shown her a world without worry and preoccupation. Somewhere that was all hers and didn’t include taking care of everyone else.

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