Page 41 of Mine to Protect

“What?” She spun on her heels. “How do you know?”

“By the time Miles got here, Chris and Jackie were gone.”

“Why aren’t we following them?”

“Miles tried. He got on my boat, thinking that because Chris and Jackie were in a couple of kayaks, it would be easy, but it was low tide, and they went upriver where it was too shallow. We can take my smaller boat in about an hour as the river rises. But I suspect, they had a car at the park and are long gone by now.”

“Why? Why did they even bother coming here then?” She stared at him with tears burning in her eyes and anger tearing through her heart. Nothing made sense.

“For this,” a strange voice said from somewhere behind her.

“Shelby, this is my brother, Miles.” Rhett held her close to his body.

She wanted to resent how much she needed that support, but if he didn’t hold her up, she feared that she might crumble.

“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Miles, who looked a lot like Rhett except with much shorter hair and a few extra inches of height, stood in front of her with a kind smile. “I’m sorry for the circumstances, though.”

She swallowed. “Did you see or talk with Chris and Jackie?”

“By the time I got here, they were kayaking at a good clip down the river I couldn’t catch them because of how low the tide is,” Miles said. “But they left a note.”

“Let’s go inside.” Rhett led her back toward the front of the house.

Her legs felt as if she’d been swimming for hours. They barely held her upright. She squared her shoulders, tired of feeling as though she wasn’t in control of her life. “But you saw them. And they looked okay?”

“I took a picture.” Miles paused at the front stoop and held up his cell. “And Rhett’s cameras can be played back. Your brother is alive and well.”

“Thank you for that.”

Rhett unlocked the door.

“Can I have the note?” Shelby asked as she stepped into the hallway, heading toward the kitchen.

“It was actually addressed to Rhett,” Miles said.

“Give it to her.” Rhett squeezed her arm. “Would you like something to drink?”

“A shot of tequila would be nice.” She took the note with shaky fingers. She wanted to run into her room and lock the door, but she knew that wouldn’t go over well, so she pulled up a stool and stared at the envelope with Rhett’s name written in her brother’s handwriting.

She’d recognize it anywhere. Her brother had the neatest penmanship of anyone she knew, and she always teased him that it looked like a girl’s. He just laughed and told her she was jealous.

Which was a true statement, but not in a negative way.

“Listen, I have a friend who works at the park,” Miles said. “I’m going to race up there now because Annie hasn’t seen anyone that looks like your brother and Jackie leave today.”

“That’s interesting,” Rhett said. “Could those kayaks have been rentals?”

“The park ones don’t have any identifying marks. So, yeah, they could have been.”

“Maybe we should go with you.” With trembling fingers, Shelby flipped open the edges of the envelope.

“No. Let my brother handle this. We don’t want to spook Chris any more than he already is. The park is only a few miles up the road.”

“Besides, he doesn’t know me or what I drive. He’ll see the two of you coming a mile away and probably run. Me? I can move around a little more freely. Plus, the bad guys might be looking for you, Shelby.”

“Keep me posted.” Rhett gave his brother a man hug before setting a glass of tequila on the rocks in front of Shelby.

She lifted it to her lips and sipped. It went down as smooth as butter. She tugged the paper out of the envelope and unfolded it. “Did your brother read this?”

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