Relief floods through me so fast it makes me dizzy. I unlock the door and wait for him to come in, probably looking as paranoid as I feel.
"Hey," he says, stopping when he sees my expression. "Everything okay?"
"I thought I saw someone moving near the house. Closer than your men usually get."
His expression sharpens immediately. "Where?"
"Living room windows. Could have been Timo or Enea, but it seemed different somehow."
He's already pulling out his phone, speed-dialing. "Timo, report... What do you mean you lost visual on the east side?... How long?... Fuck."
He hangs up and moves past me, checking the security panel.
"What's wrong?"
"Timo's partner went to investigate movement near the east perimeter twenty minutes ago. Radio went dead."
Cold dread pools in my stomach. "Is he...?"
"Probably equipment failure, but we're not taking chances." He's moving through the house systematically now, checking windows, looking for signs of entry. "Pack a bag. Light. At some point, we might need to move in a hurry."
"Damon?"
"Yeah?"
"Something felt wrong. I can't explain it, but something felt off."
He glances at me, and I see something in his expression that makes my stomach clench.
"Your instincts are good," he says quietly. "Don't ignore them. Learn to lean on them."
"What does that mean?"
"It means we need to be more careful. Stay alert at all times.”
He finishes his security sweep and comes back to the kitchen, where the smell of alfredo sauce still lingers.
"You cooked," he says in surprise. “Smells good.”
"I told you I could. It's ready if you're hungry."
"Starving."
But he doesn't move toward the stove. He stands there looking at me, and I can see the war playing out behind his eyes. The same war that's been going on for three days now.
"Viviana."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For cooking. For staying alert. For trusting your instincts."
The words are simple, but there's weight behind them.
"I trust you," I admit.
"You shouldn't."
"Stop telling me what I should do,” I snap at him. “I’m sick and tired of everyone trying to control me."
