Love in the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 20

I can see him look over the guys, carefully trying to analyze the situation. But when his eyes find mine again I can see him start to relax before he lowers the staff. He may not trust them, but he trusts me. And he knows I would never bring people here who would cause this place or the people any harm.

Once everyone calms down I finally relax. "This is Emory. An old friend." I say to the guys.

Behind me I hear Emory scoff. "Friend? Ouch."

I turn to him, giving him a strong warning glare. "Emory I swear..."

He chuckles, knowing exactly what he's doing, but not realizing just how dangerous the game he's playing is.

I head towards the others, wondering why they even came after me. "I told you guys to wait for me." I say, knowing this could have gone so bad.

"We heard you. We thought you might be in trouble." Steve says, his eyes still on Emory as he comes up close to me. "Friend?" he asks, his gaze dropping down to meet mine.

I press my lips together to suppress a smile, liking the jealousy in his eyes a little too much. But obviously I'm not going to toy with him right now. "You remember the guy I told you who tried to court me?"

"The one your brother made cry." he asks.

That would be what he remembers about that story. "Yeah." I say with a chuckle.

Steve nods, clearly no longer feeling any amount of concern over him.

"Is everything okay?" Tony asks, looking back at Emory and still trying to analyze the situation.

"So far so good I guess." I reply, knowing I didn't exactly get much time to ask him anything considering they guys showed up so quickly.

"Callen is going to lose it when he sees you."

I feel everything suddenly freeze around me, and I try to convince myself that I just made up those words in my head. With my breath caught in my throat I slowly turn around, looking over at Emory in complete disbelief.

"Callen's alive?"

And I see it in his eyes, it never once crossed his mind that I believed otherwise. "Yeah he's alive." he says, his eyes full of sympathy now that he knows I thought my entire family was dead.

Callen...brother.

Maybe...

No. If my parents were alive he would have said "your family" instead of just Callen. They're probably...but what if...maybe...

"M-my parents?" I say with a shaky voice, and I feel Steve hand slide into mine, grasping hard for support.

Emory's face falls, telling me all I need to know. "I'm sorry Mia."

I let myself have that small amount of hope, and now it hurts all over again.

I turn around, trying to keep it together, reminding myself that this is what I was expecting. I had prepared myself for this news. And yet...

"Mia," Steve says, and the sympathy in his voice gives me the comfort I need to break apart, even if it's just for a moment. I clutch onto Steve's shirt, pressing myself against his chest as I let out a soft sob. His arms come around my shoulders, holding me close, making it clear that he's got me.

"I'm so sorry, kid." I hear Tony say, and then feel his hand on my head.

I take in a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. "Callen's alive." I say, still trying to wrap my head around that. "That's more than I was expecting." Steve grabs onto one hand, Tony the other, both of them giving me a gentle comforting squeeze.