Help Me Remember (Rose Canyon, #1)(21)

A little bruised, mostly embarrassed. I hated looking stupid and young in front of the guys.

“Fuck yeah I was. You could’ve been hurt.”

“Hence the thrill.”

“Doing better?” he asks, changing topics.

“What?”

“You were scared. Is it better now?”

I glance up at him. “I was . . . you were handling me.”

He chuckles. “I’ve spent a good portion of my life perfecting the ability. I’m pretty good at it.”

“Whatever.”

Spencer tosses his arm around my shoulders. “What has you the most concerned?”

“I’m going to be alone and what if someone wants me dead?”

“You’re safe, Brielle. I promise that much.”

Easy for him to say. I don’t know anyone in this building or what the hell I’m supposed to do all alone. It’s like the first night I spent at college. I sat in that room and cried for two hours. I was terrified of being alone and in a strange place. Now, I’m dealing with a version of homesickness but because I don’t remember any of this.

“How do I know that?” I ask him.

“Because there is a security guy in his car out front, another one in back, and Emmett will be here in about an hour.”

“He’s coming here?”

“Emmett is staying in the apartment directly across from yours.”

My eyes widen. “What? He lives here too?”

“He does now.”

I don’t know what to say, so I end up gaping at him. “When did he move in?”

“Yesterday.”

“Because?”

“Because we have no idea who killed your brother and tried to kill you. So, the apartment is now sublet to your security team. So, if you’re scared or you need something, you have people here. They’re one of the top security teams in the country. I’ve made friends during my career and none of us are taking chances.”

“I don’t know if that makes me feel worse or better.”

“Either way, they’re only here to keep you safe. You probably wouldn’t even notice them if I hadn’t told you.”

Now he’s insulting my intelligence. “Please. I would definitely notice a bunch of hulking military-looking guys walking around Rose Canyon. It’s not like we’re brimming with new people in this town.”

He smirks. “Except that you don’t know who lives here anymore. You have no memories of the last three years.”

“Ass.”

Spencer shrugs. “I told you this to ease your worries about staying here tonight.”

“I’m not worried.” It’s a total lie.

“Sure you’re not.”

I really hate him sometimes. Feeling as though I need to prove myself, I cross my arms over my chest and huff. “I’m going inside now. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He nods with a smile. “Yes. Also, if you need anything or you just want some company, call.”

The last thing in the world I plan to do is call one of them. “Thanks. I’ll see you around eight.”

“Sleep well, Brie.”

“Thanks.”

There’s very little chance of that.

I head inside, and as soon as the door clicks, loneliness and fear flood me. I am alone for the first time since I woke up in the hospital. In my home, that doesn’t much feel like a home. I think back to what Addison and my mother say about my strength. While I don’t feel very strong, they all seem to think this is a quality I possess, so I may as well act like it.

I head into the master bathroom and go through the drawers. I have everything perfectly organized, which doesn’t surprise me. Again, I search for a sign or a clue about my life. No men’s cologne or soap. Nothing that says another person stays here.

Just when I’m about to give up, I find a box of condoms under the sink. The box is open and only two are in there. So, I’m clearly having sex or handing out condoms, which, as a social worker, could be true.

The one thing that strikes me as odd is that the brand isn’t one Henry and I used. Not that it means much because I’m not using the same deodorant I used to either. Still, it’s one more thing to think about.

I’m overwhelmed and exhausted. No longer feeling like being a spy in my house, I give up my search, head back into my bedroom, and grab an oversized shirt from my drawer. Then head into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I wish it were wine, but I’m not allowed any alcohol for a few weeks. There’s a stack of mail on the counter, and I make a mental note to go through it tomorrow. I’m rounding the island counter in the kitchen when there is a loud bang on my door. I drop the glass, screaming loudly as glass shatters around me.

In the span of what seems like two seconds, my door is thrown open and Emmett, Spencer, and Henry storm into my apartment.

I don’t know when I crouched into a tight ball with my arms around my knees, or when I started shaking, but when I look up, all three guys are watching me with concern in their eyes.

Spencer reaches his hand out first. “It’s okay, Brie. You’re safe.”

My body is tight, and I can’t move as fear is still in control. The sound was so loud and so sudden that I thought . . . God, I don’t know, that it was a gun.