Free Blind Fury by Gwen Hernandez Page B

lies were there?
    He reached across the counter for the box the man at the jewelry shop had given him and handed it to her, his hands shaking. Shaking. Jenna’s stomach took a dive, even as she chastised herself for being stupid.
    “When we stopped at the jewelry store on the way home, it wasn’t to pick up my watch. I actually ordered something for you a couple days ago.”
    Now she was the one who trembled as she pried open the box and lifted out a flat silver bracelet. Tears burned at the back of her eyes as she ran her fingers over the words engraved in the shiny surface. IN MEMORY…ROBERT RYAN .
    “I thought you’d appreciate a memento of Rob, especially since you lost everything in the fire. But if you don’t like it, I can exchange it for another style,” Mick said, his words coming out in a rush.
    “No, it’s perfect.” She looked up at him, her mind whirling. Had she ever really known the real Mick Fury? “Thank you.” The urge to launch herself into his arms nearly overwhelmed her, but before she embarrassed herself, he cleared his throat and broke eye contact.
    Standing, he shoved one hand into his front pocket and gestured to her bag with the other.“So did you get anything good in the mail?”
    His sudden change of topic pulled Jenna back to reality. She was still reeling from the planning and thoughtfulness that had gone into his gift, but when he mentioned the mail, she remembered an oversized envelope, and her curiosity trumped the mystery that was Mick. For the moment. She took the bundle of mail from her bag and spread the envelopes out on the counter, enjoying the new sensation of the cool metal of the bracelet on her wrist. Instantly the return address on the heavy-duty Tyvek envelope caught her eye, and she could have kicked herself for not checking sooner.
    “There’s something from Rob,” she said, her voice oddly hushed. She was both eager and reluctant to see what was inside. Mick showed incredible restraint by moving into the living room to give her privacy.
    She smoothed a hand over the thin material, working up the nerve to tear the thing open. Getting posthumous mail was creepy. When Rob had carefully sealed and addressed the envelope, he’d been planning to come home for good.
    She ripped open the top and paused. A profound sadness pulled at her as she thought of her strong, handsome brother preparing this envelope the previous week. He’d been ready to quit Claymore and start a new life. Now that would never happen. With a deep breath, she shook off the melancholy and removed a sheet of paper and a small brown envelope that felt like it contained a spiral-bound notebook.
    The letter was brief. A quick hello and a request to put the inner envelope on his desk. He reiterated his readiness to come home and signed off. That was it.
    She stared at the manila envelope for a minute, not sure she should open it. It seemed like intruding, even though it really didn’t matter anymore. Slowly, she peeled back the flap and removed an ordinary blue notebook of college-ruled paper.
    When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw that Mick was watching an MMA fight on the big screen with the sound muted. He was still showing respect for her, for this final moment she had with Rob. She opened the cover. The first page was blank, but a small square had been stuck to the inside cover with 100-mph duct tape in olive drab. No self-respecting PJ would travel without the green duct tape, and her brother had apparently been no exception, out of the military or not. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she gently peeled away the sticky strip.
    She gasped at the sight of the memory card beneath. Could this be the key to the danger they were in? She opened her laptop, logged in, and inserted the card into the slot on the side, drumming her fingers as her computer scanned it for viruses.
    While she waited, she flipped through the notebook, but the few pages Rob had filled with neat block letters