Page 3 of Mine to Protect

But it had all been an illusion.

She might have fallen in love, but both she and Rhett were not made for lasting relationships. She understood that about herself, and she suspected that maybe he did, too. Perhaps that was why he didn’t call. Or, more likely, he just didn’t care for her the same way. And that was okay.

“You told my brother Emmett that during your last conversation with Chris, he sounded off. What did you mean by that?” Emmerson asked, jerking her from the safe haven of her past with Rhett, a place she only dared to go late at night when she was by herself—or when she chose to journal. Rhett was the one thing she didn’t share with anyone. He’d become that happy place that every therapist asked her to create.

She ripped her gaze away from Rhett. Rhett had visited her in her dreams for months after she left Key West, but as much as she’d wanted to call him, dealing with the day-to-day life of her family had been all she could handle. Once Chris had gotten on the right track, she’d told herself that she would reach out but then found herself coming up with one excuse after another. Months passed. Then a year. Then two. Then three. Then her father’s cancer had returned. Her family was all she had, and she couldn’t add a man to the mix.

Her therapist had told her it had nothing to do with her taking care of her family and doing what was right for them, and more to do with sticking with a role she’d been given and not stepping out of that comfort zone—which wasn’t a healthy choice. Being the caregiver for her family while not taking care of her own needs wasn’t her responsibility for life.

But someone had to do it.

“He was agitated. Paranoid.”Just like when he used to use.She hated even having that thought. Chris had been doing so well. He had a job, a girlfriend, and money in the bank. Even when he had setbacks in life, he worked them out.

“I need you to be more specific,” Emmerson said.

For most of her life, Shelby had been a private person. She didn’t like sharing details of her personal life with anyone, including her best friends—especially things about her brother. That was his business. It wasn’t that she was ashamed. Far from it. But it made other people uncomfortable, and she didn’t feel like dealing with idiots. Besides, that was what you paid a therapist for.

“Our father died a year ago. My brother really struggled for the first few months, but he pulled his shit together. Until about six weeks ago when he started to behave oddly. He would get pissed at me for no reason, or snap at me if I questioned him. I caught him sneaking around my house a couple of times. It was like dealing with him before the real shit hit the fan five years ago.”

“Did something else change in his life?” Rhett asked as he leaned against the doorjamb.

“He took a job at his girlfriend’s family’s limo company. But it was a good job. Only…that’s when I noticed the changes.” She caught Rhett’s gaze.

His intense eyes had always captivated her in ways that touched her core. It was as if he could see right into her soul without even trying. It scared her because he had a way of knowing her thoughts and feelings.

“How did he change?” Rhett asked softly.

“He got secretive and started pulling away. He used the excuse that he’d been clean and sober for five years and was sick and tired of his older sister not trusting him, which was total bullshit. We were past all that.” She held in a sob. Fear gripped her veins, squeezing the blood right out. She shook from the inside.

“When was the last time you actually saw him?” Rhett asked in a kind and soft tone.

Tears burned a path down her cheeks at the reminder of the ugly fight she’d gotten into with Chris. “Six days ago,” she said. This was no time to keep secrets. She needed help. Her brother needed help. “We fought because I found him and his girlfriend in my house.”

“Do they need your permission?” Emmerson asked. “Because my brothers come and go pretty much as they please.”

“He’s got a key, but he’s always been respectful. This time, I caught him in my office, going through my things. The last time he did that was a little over five years ago when he tried to steal my mom’s wedding rings and some other jewelry so he could pawn them to buy drugs.”

“Did he take anything from your house that day?” Emmerson asked.

“Not that I could find,” she said. “And, trust me, I checked everything.”

“What kind of things do you keep in your office?” Rhett asked. “Is there a safe? Checkbooks? Keys to safety deposit boxes that have valuable things in them?”

“Mostly paperwork.” Her cheeks heated as she thought about all the things she’d written about Rhett. She’d filled at least half a dozen journals with thoughts about him. It bordered on obsessive. “The safe is in my bedroom closet.”

Emmett stepped into the main area of the hotel room. “There’s nothing unusual in the bathroom. It’s just really messy, which could be because they are on vacation and don’t want to clean up after themselves. Or something else. Especially since half the contents of the cosmetic kit were on the floor,” he said.

“What do you mean something else?” she asked.

“I don’t like the way the room looks. It’s almost as if someone went through their things, tossing them about as if they were looking for something,” Emmett said. “We’ll talk with the manager at the hotel, but there’s something else of note. Your brother and his girlfriend left everything behind, including their electronics. We found both cell phones, a tablet, and a laptop.” Emmett pointed to the ladies’ clothing on the bed. “Tell me about the girlfriend.”

Shelby wanted to ask more about who might have come in and searched her brother’s room, but her brain could barely function enough to answer their questions. “She’s nice. I like her. She’s kind of quiet, and I wish I knew her better. Her uncle’s the one who gave my brother the job.”

“Did you file a report on her, as well?” Rhett asked.

Shelby blew out a puff of air. “I did.”

“What about her family? Did they?” Emmerson asked.

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