Page 84 of Unleashed

“You are here because this is where you’re safe. This is where you don’t have to worry about anyone coming to take more from you.” I meet her eyes, making sure she hears me. “And that includes my family.”

Maren rolls her eyes. “I’m not worried about your family taking anything from me.” She pulls in a deep breath, blowing it back out. “But I can’t have Zara getting used to living the way you do, because…”

“Because why?” I want her to say it. I want her to tell me she believes we’re going to go away. Leave the two of them on their own.

Because that’s not fucking happening.

She opens her mouth to tell me her vision of her truth when the latch on my front door opens. A second later, my mother’s voice calls out.

“Good morning.” She breezes down the hall and into the kitchen, looking bright-eyed and bushytailed, which makes sense considering she’s been awake long enough to bake an entire batch of cinnamon rolls. “I brought Maren some breakfast. I figured this would be sort of a rough morning as everyone acclimates to the new living situation.” My mother plops a large insulated bag onto the counter and begins unloading containers. “I did some meal prepping too, so all you’ll have to do for the next couple of days is warm things up.”

I’m not at all surprised by this, but Maren seems to be. She watches, eyes widening more and more as my mother lines plastic containers filled with breakfast bake, overnight oats, and wax paper wrapped sandwiches in front of her. The options are topped off with a fresh pan of cinnamon rolls, a container of orange juice, and a pitcher of cold brew concentrate.

Clearly thrown off her game, Maren manages a quiet, thank you, as she takes it all in.

I love Maren when she’s loud and aggressive. I enjoy her when she’s challenging and defiant. But this new Maren—the one who’s uncertain and maybe a little afraid—has a part of me I’ve never acknowledged stirring to life. The part of me that wants to pull her close and protect her. Keep her safe while she acclimates to this new normal. Slice anyone who tries to hurt her in half.

And that part of me is very unhappy it can’t do what it wants, because my mother’s watching me like a hawk, reading into every move I make and every word I say. I don’t want to get her hopes up. Not when I know how this is ultimately going to play out.

“That should be everything.” My mother claps her hands together after unloading a collection of dinners and a tray of brownies. “That should tide you over until Thursday. Then we can revisit.”

Maren’s brows lift. “What’s Thursday?”

“Family dinner night, of course.” My mother snatches the empty bag from the counter, immediately making a beeline for the door as she calls over one shoulder. “I’ll see you two then.”

26

Maren

By the time I drop Zara off l, I can barely think straight. It took everything I had to act normal as I got her ready for school, and now that I’m alone, I’m considering parking in an empty lot somewhere so I can stare out the windshield for a few hours.

Unfortunately, I know Brooke well enough to know she’ll ask Trevor where I am. And I know Trevor well enough to know he’ll hunt me down. And then I’ll have to explain why I’m sitting in an empty parking lot staring out the windshield. Which would be the biggest problem of the whole scenario, because I don’t know why I want to sit in an empty parking lot staring out the windshield.

I’m normally pretty good at identifying what’s wrong. The problems I’ve faced up to this point have been somewhat simple. Not easy to remedy, but always quickly deciphered.

That’s not the case anymore.

Even though I don’t want to, I aim my van for McKinley Security Systems, sucking down the remainder of my homemade iced coffee as I complete the trip and obsess over the morning’s events.

I’ve seen Deidre Bradshaw’s television shows. I’ve experienced the way she treats her children firsthand. I know how she is. So why was I so thrown off when she showed up at Trevor’s house this morning with food and drinks? That’s literally who she is. She’s built an empire on it.

An empire that suddenly felt like it was pointing directly at me.

I’ve never had a parent. Never had a sibling—not in the sense most people do. Never had aunts or uncles. Hell, I didn’t even have a friend of the family everyone treated like an uncle. I’ve only ever had myself to rely on.

No one who would show up to save the day by cleaning up yet another mess my mother made. Or bring breakfast since Trevor’s refrigerator contents left a lot to be desired and mine landed on the floor.

No one to pull me out of a bad situation and make sure I was safe and fed.

That kind of thing was always so far out of reach, I’ve never even imagined what it would be like. That would make it too easy to wish I had it. And I believed there was no scenario where that wish would ever come true.

I kinda wish I had considered it at least a little, because now that it’s happening, it’s really fucking with my head.

Pulling into the parking lot of McKinley Security Systems, I angle the van into a vacant spot far from the front door. There might be a few minutes of staring out the windshield before I grab my bag and lunch box, and march my way inside, trying to look like the same old Maren.

Scanning my badge, I let myself in the front door, refusing to even look in the direction of Trevor’s office as I hightail it to my desk. Brooke’s light is on, and I decide to rip the Band-Aid off, dropping my bags on my desk before striding straight in. I’m sure she’s got a lot to say and a million questions she’s dying to ask, and I’d rather get it over with.

Plus I would really love something to distract me. Get me out of my own head. That place is off the chain.