RESTLESS HEARTS

CHAPTER 16

•SHAWN•

I sat in my room, clutching the crumpled piece of newspaper and obsessively re-reading the article about Shay.

My mind was consumed by thoughts of her, wondering what she was going through right now, feeling utterly alone because I couldn't be there by her side to help. I always handled serious matters for her, like the time I dug up dirt on a woman who got her fired, helping Shay not only get her job back but also receive an apology from that woman.

I did it because I knew the pressure of handling things alone. I didn't want my little sister to experience that, especially with the turmoil at home with our parents and other siblings.

Looking out the window, I could see that it was already dark outside. Jules had been working on her satellite phone since we returned, and I hadn't left the room for hours, just repeatedly scanning the newspaper.

I yawned, realizing the exhaustion from the long day was catching up with me. Our trip to town had been brief, and I hadn't even had a chance to find a police station. We had returned to the cabin instead.

Jules probably had already gone to bed. It was late. As I prepared to retire for the night, my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten all day. My preoccupied mind had pushed food aside.

I got up, intending to grab an apple from the fridge when, suddenly, Jules appeared right in front of me, startling me.

"What the hell! Can't you knock?" I exclaimed.

She shushed me, ushered me back into the room, and closed the door quietly. Confused, I watched her tiptoe to the window, pulling back the curtain to peer outside.

"What are you—"

"Shh! We're being watched," she whispered urgently.

I crouched beside her against the wall, now acutely aware of the gravity of the situation.

"What are you talking about?"

She glanced outside again before turning to me. 

"I think some people followed us from town."

"What? Why would they do that?"

She shrugged. "Because we were the only Americans around, and they probably assumed we were tourists, here to rob us."

I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of her explanation. Yes, we were Americans, but we blended in perfectly with the locals.

She pulled out a gun, a reminder of her earlier threats.

"Stay here and don't make a sound," she instructed, moving toward the door.

I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "I'm not staying in here. I can help."

She raised an eyebrow. "With that? Can you even fight?"

"I was top of my taekwondo class, yes, I can fight."

She looked surprised but pulled her arm away and nodded. 

"If they're armed and start shooting, forget about taekwondo and hide somewhere safe. I'll take care of them."

This woman seriously had trust issues. I could do more than just taekwondo and handle myself around armed robbers without a weapon.

I followed her to the door, and she counted down with her fingers before slowly opening it. I stepped ahead of her to check if the hallway was clear, earning a slap on my arm. I quickly retreated into the room when I saw two masked figures in the living room.