Sunny lifted a clear waterproofed bag from the floor near her feet and slowly unzipped it. Reaching inside, she pulled out an envelope.
Mena stared at the rectangle, fixated on the cream-colored Genesis Gallery stationery.
“I came to let you know that we’re heading back to Kenya tonight. And to give you this,” Sunny said.
“What is that?”
“A letter from Julian. When my team got him safely to the basement of the Genesis Gallery, he asked to see me before we headed back to Africa. He wanted my help to plan a special night for the two of you. Champagne, food, flowers. Ambiance. And he wanted to give me this.” Sunny extended the envelope toward Mena. “He wanted you to have this in the event that—”
“Sunny, listen to me. We don’t know that he didn’t survive. His body hasn’t been found, which means he could…” Mena’s voice crumbled as sobs choked in her throat. “He could still be out there.”
“Take this,” Sunny whispered, a single tear rolling down her face, as she forced the envelope into Mena’s hands. “These are Julian’s last words to you, and only for your eyes. You’ll want to have this with you in the days and weeks and years ahead to remind yourself of what a beautiful and special love the two of you shared.”
“No, I can’t. I won’t believe he’s gone. No!”
Chapter Forty-Eight
The tangled branches clawed at Mena’s skin as she zigzagged through the unmarked trails, forging deeper into the heart of the jungle. The ground was thick with tangled branches, fallen leaves and mud, clawing at her feet as she pushed further into the midst. Her body instinctively knew where to go. The place she’d gone almost every day since she learned the exact spot Julian had jumped from. Her fists curled around the envelope in her hand, crushing the paper in her grasp.
How could he do this to her? How could he leave her with nothing more than a letter? She couldn’t imagine reading it. That would be like confirming he was gone. She couldn’t do that.
Mena slowed to a stop and leaned against a banana tree.
The tears that had refused to fall over the past several weeks coursed down her cheeks. She stared at the crumpled white envelope in her hand, blurred and fuzzy through the cloak of her cries. Body slumping, she teetered on the verge of hyperventilating.
She never imagined losing Julian like this.
Not the permanence that came with death.
All her fears had been wasted on the damage her marriage to Michael would do to their relationship.
Julian was the hero. Escaping danger, thwarting threats and taking down the evil in the world, even when he didn’t feel worthy to have that role. He wasn’t supposed to die trying to prove his own innocence. What kind of cruel world would end his life in such a tragic way?
Mena leaned her head back against the rough bark, trying to peek through the canopy of tangled branches to see the darkened sky. Shadows lurked between the trees, cloaking the area in inky blackness. A tomb where her hopes and dreams for a wonderful life with the man she loved had come to be buried. Once and for all.
“This was not supposed to happen,” Mena choked out the words between sobs. “You were supposed to find a way to survive. How could you fight off bullets and bombs, but let nature take you down? In this place …”
Mena stepped away from the tree, twirling her arms in a circle. “You loved these mountains. This was the one place you should have been safe. And all you left me with was this stupid letter.”
She stumbled backward. “A letter! Really, Julian? I deserved so much more than this.”
Watching the crumpled paper fall to the ground, Mena took a step back from where it lay, glowing bright white against the tangled branches and mud of the jungle floor.
She took another step backward. Then another, increasing her pace.
She wouldn’t read the letter.
More steps backward as the envelope grew distant.
Not ever.
Her foot slammed into a root, knocking her off balance.
Her eyes never left the envelope. It skittered across the ground as a breeze pierced through the dense foliage. Extending her arm to brace her fall, her hip slammed into the ground, sending a spasm of pain through her body. Her hand grasped the damp ground and something soft, clammy and cool.
Jerking her head toward her hand, she saw the outline of pale fingers protruding from the leaves. She lifted her hand and stared at the dirt.
Was that really a hand?
