Page 8 of The Road Less Traveled By

A few minutes later, I pull onto her street and take the path to her driveway. Her new house is nice—and fucking huge. It’s a bit secluded for my liking, but the gate in front of her house makes me feel better.

“The code is—”

I’ve already punched it in before she can finish her sentence. “Liv told me.”

“You talked to my sister?”

“She called me the day after you texted me. Gave me all the information I needed for when I got here.” I might hate most family members of my clients—they usually don't give a fuck about the safety of their loved ones—but Liv is one of the good ones. She genuinely cares about her sister and acts more like Bree’s parent than their biological ones. If Bree trusts her, I trust her, plain and simple.

I park in her driveway, opting not to use the garage before I’ve had a chance to look around, and get out of the black Tahoe with tinted windows. My guys get out of theirs too, since they were following mehere. I open Bree’s door for her and escort her to her front porch as I look around. The property plans said she has around 4,000 square feet of living space, and a few acres surround her too. It’s bigger than her old house, but my team can handle it.

I don't hear her key turning in the lock, and when I look at Bree, her face has gone pale. I follow her unblinking eyes to the front porch, where a manilla envelope sits, her name drawn in red marker on the front.

“Get behind me,” I say as I pull her flush to my back. I don't know what this is, and if it’s anything dangerous, I’d rather it hit me first. “You haven't ordered anything recently?”

I feel her shake her head against my back before I call Emerson over to inspect it. He has bomb squad training, and at least he can tell me if there’s a device in or attached to it. It looks a little too small, and that was never Ralph’s MO. He much preferred breaking Bree down psychologically with notes, letters, anddetails. The fucker liked messing with her head, and it doesn't surprise me that he’s picking up where he left off.

“It’s clear. It just looks like some pictures and a note.” Emerson steps back, and I move toward the package, feeling Bree grip my jacket like a lifeline.

“Get Bree back in the car while I sweep the house. Take this and bag it so Nico can analyze it.”

“I–I can’t do this again.” Bree’s voice is shaking. I haven't heard her this scared in a long time.

I turn to face her. “Let’s get you back to the car where it’s safe, and I’ll be back in fifteen minutes, okay? You remember this part, don't you?”

She can barely look at me. Her eyes are glassy, petrified, and her gaze is shooting all over the place. I place a hand on her lower back, and as we get back to the car, she lets me open her door so she can slide in, still breathing heavily. “Y-Yes. You search every part of my house, and when it’s clear, I can come in. When it’s clear, that means I’m safe.”

I nod at her, happy she remembers. “I thought you had a security system.”

“I did. I do. It should've notified me if the gate was opened or if there was motion at any of the doors, but I never got anything.”

Fuck.“Then we’ll get you a better one. I’ll call Nico tonight and ask him to set one up. He’s the only fucker I trust in terms of security, and soon, your entire house will be wired with state-of-the-art protection.”

“Isn't that just you?”

Damn right it is.I turn to my team of four and look them all in the eyes. “Emerson, you’re with me. Duncan and Chris, I want you to sweep the surrounding property. Kenner, you protect that girl with your life. Close the door to the car and make sure nobody else is around watching outside the gates. Let’s go.”

When I open thepackage an hour later and a few photos of Bree fall out, my stomach drops. I feel Bree tense up beside me before she gives context to the pictures.

“This is from two days ago. I had to go to the grocery store.”

Jesus.I pull the note out, and when I read it, my body goes cold.

Cat got your tongue? My shackles are gone, and now I’m back to setting my traps.

Sleep tight, Bree. I’ll see you soon.

You don't know how long I’ve waited for this.

“I-I’m gonna go upstairs and shower,” Bree tells me as she turns away from the table and heads to her room.

I look at Chris and Emerson as they watch her leave. “Make copies and send them to Nico. See if he can identify where they were taken and when.” I turn around and catch up to Bree as she walks up her stairs.

“Are you okay?” I ask, but she ignores me, or she’s too in her head to hear me saying anything. By the time we get to the top of the stairs, I grab her shoulder and turn her towards me. “Tell me how you’re feeling, Bree. Tell me what’s going through your mind.”

“Nothing. I just need to go take a shower,” she tells me, still not looking in my eyes. “I’m fine, Vince. Really. I’ll be down later for dinner, okay?”

I can only nod at her as she speed-walks to her room and softly shuts the door behindher.

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