Page 66 of Ruthless Possession
"We'll make sure she's never afraid again," Trenton says from the doorway, his voice a quiet promise.
I turn to him, love and determination filling my chest. "We'll need to be smart about this. Evan isn't going to just disappear."
Matthew joins us, his expression thoughtful. "No, but we have resources he doesn't. The club, the police, your father's connections. We can find him before he finds us."
I step between them, taking both their hands. "Then that's what we do. We end this, once and for all."
Later, as I lie between them in bed, their bodies warm and solid against mine, I allow myself to imagine our future. Charlie growing up with us, safe and loved.
chapter twelve
Morgan
The phone's shrill ring shatters the silence of our bedroom. I jolt awake, my heart hammering against my ribs. Beside me, Trenton is already reaching for his cell, his movements precise despite sleep still clinging to his features.
"Trenton speaking," he answers, his voice low and alert.
I watch his face in the dim light, seeing it shift from wakefulness to sharp focus in an instant.
"Where? How many?" His words are clipped, urgent.
Matthew sits up beside me, instantly alert. The tension radiating from Trenton's body tells me everything I need to know before he hangs up.
"That was Caiden," Trenton says, already swinging his legs off the bed. "Someone's at the back of the house. More than one person."
"Evan?" I ask, my voice tight with fear.
"Don't know yet." Trenton moves to the closet, pulling out a weapon with practiced efficiency. "Get Charlie. Now."
Matthew is already on his feet, moving toward the door with purpose. "Safe room."
I scramble from the bed, adrenaline clearing my head completely. In the hallway, I can see Charlie's bedroom door, her night-light casting a soft glow through the crack.
"Morgan!" Matthew hisses, grabbing my arm. "I'll get her. You get to the safe room."
I nod, trusting his instincts. As he slips into Charlie's room, I move toward the hidden panel in the hallway, my fingers finding the latch I prayed we'd never need.
A crash from downstairs makes me freeze. The front door. Someone's trying to break in.
"Morgan!" Trenton's voice cuts through the chaos. "Go!"
I hear Charlie's frightened whimper as Matthew emerges from her room, her small body cradled against his chest. Her eyes are wide with terror, her unicorn clutched in one hand.
"It's okay, baby." The words come out steady even though my heart is slamming against my ribs. "We're just going on a little adventure."
Charlie doesn't believe me. I can see it in the way her fingers have gone white around her unicorn, the way her eyes keep cutting toward the sounds coming from downstairs. She's heard raised voices before. She knows what they mean.
Another crash, louder this time.
Matthew's arm tightens around her, his jaw set. "Move, Morgan."
I push the panel open and step inside. The safe room smells like fresh paint and circulated air; we'd had it installed six weeks ago.
The room is small. A cot against one wall, a first aid kit bolted above it, a monitor mounted in the corner showing four camera feeds from around the house.
Top left: the back fence line, two shapes moving along it in the dark.
Top right: the front porch, empty, but the motion light is on and I don't know when it tripped.
