Family Business

Chapter 20.

Chapter 19.

Feb 2036

I look around my new house, biting my lip nervously. "So that's it?" I ask the U.S. Marshall.

He nods, "Yes, ma'am."

"I just become Breeze Evans?" I say, running my hand along the wall. The house was totally empty except for a fridge in the kitchen. "What about my family?"

He shrugs, "I don't know, ma'am. But you aren't allowed to be in contact with them because it could endanger you. I'm sure you've been briefed on that but I'd like to remind you once more. There is no contact with your past life."

I nod a little, "Great... So I'll die alone when I get discovered." I mutter. If Xander found me, I knew that he would kill me. Well, he would kill me after torturing me first. A plethora of punishments and ways he would torture me ran through my head. I shivered at the dark thoughts, feeling sick.

"You won't." He says, touching my arm in a way he saw as reassuring but the touch made my stomach churn. "We'll have periodic check-ins. I know you practiced your back story on the way over but you must keep to it. Here's your official documentation." He hands over a large box that had my new papers as well as some old fake bills and other important papers for Breeze- me.

I take the box and set it on the kitchen counter, running a hand through my hair. "I- what do I do now?"

He looks at me, almost sadly. "You'll get a check to help you start yourself off, maybe get some furniture. Once you get a job, that'll phase out slowly. You will be financially set for the first six months and you will deposit them using the bank and id cards from the packet. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Tanya Reed. She's down the road and will be your contact person. Her card is in the box."

I nod, "Great." I mutter.

"Have a good day." He says abruptly and walks out. The clock on the microwave read 4:42 am.

I shut the door behind him, locking all of the locks. I bite my lip and look around the empty house. After my testimony to the district attorney in Verna, he had helped me get into the WITSEC program. Luka had helped me as much as he could but was not supposed to influence my testimony. Part of my deal with the DA was that I testify against Xander, but also give some family secrets to give them a leg up in fighting citywide crime. Luckily, I had not known the answers to most of their questions so I did not feel like I had betrayed my family- well, except for disappearing without any notice. The US marshals helped me come up with my new identity, knowing of Xander's reach so only two people knew my true name. They had changed everything about me including my name, hair, and age.

I walk up to my room that simply had a mattress in it and lift it up, picking up the family picture that I had hidden under it. I had a snuck it since we were not supposed to have anything related to our past. It was a picture of us at the beach when I was younger. Mama and Papà were sitting in the back while my brothers held me horizontally in the picture. I was about 8 in the picture and only remembered a little about that trip. I sighed shakily, wiping a tear that slipped down my cheek. "Guess it's just me." I murmur softly, replacing it before washing my face and hands. I brush my teeth and go back to my room before laying on the bare mattress. I was too afraid to sleep so I just stared at the ceiling until the sun crept onto my walls.

It took me two days to work up the courage to leave the house. The first day I sat in my bedroom, occasionally napping in the daylight but as the sun went down, I turned on every light in the house. It was empty and quiet, save for the sound of the occasional car driving down the street.

I jerk awake at a knock on the door, jumping up from my bed. Who was it? Was it Xander here for me? Xander would not knock though. The knock comes again and I flinch, too scared to go downstairs. My heart hammered in my chest and I felt as if I was about to cry. After one last attempt, the person leaves. After ten minutes of me panicking, I forced myself to go downstairs. I peek out the living room bay window and notice a pan out front. I swallow and with shaking hands, unlock my door. I picked up the still-warm casserole, locking the door quickly after. It smelled amazing! I had not eaten anything since I left Verna, my stomach growling in anticipation. I ate a good portion of the dish before putting it in the fridge for later.