I wonder.
And I can’t wait to file a police report now, because even if I hadn’t seen him run past, the look on Kane’s face when he came back in, holding that lantern…
I shudder, even though I’m toasty warm in my purple robe.
…but what if he’s right?
If someone put in the effort to make a discreet lantern, who’s to say what they were up to?
I swear, they werewatching me.
But along with the fear churning in my stomach, there’s a different jitter when I think about Kane Saint.
At first, he was all bravado. More eye-rolling rather than intimidating, even if he had that authoritative spark from the very beginning, whenIfelt like the intruder barging in.
Now, knowing he’s just a few doors down, ready to tear the heads off anyone who breaks into this house, it makes me feel safe.
Am I really such a shallow girly-girl?
The thought makes me snort.
Never, in all my twenty-five years alive, have I felt like I needed aprotector.
When you’re a Blackthorn, there’s always someone watching your back.
Hired security at private events dripping with money. Or Holden Grumpface when I was little, always somewhere when PopPop was around, quietly making the rounds like a loyal guard dog.
The man could give Kane a run for his money, all sharp edges and hidden secrets.
I’m pretty sure he’s a single dad these days, too.
Looking after myself came naturally, though. Especially with parents who were more concerned about their next luxury stay in the Maldives than my emotional well-being.
But this feels different, a threat I’ve never known.
This isn’t some ass-clown trying to get close to me because they think I’m an easy in with Blackthorn money. I’ve lived and breathed that since I turned sixteen.
This person wasstalkingme.
Not online.
Not with cringey texts or unsolicited dick pics.
They invaded a special place very few people know about.
Of course, it’s no secret locally that I inherited this place after Gramps died, and we went into town where word travels fast. But there’s no one here with a grudge against me specifically.
Right?
Gramps on the other hand…
What did he do here alone? What was his life like in Sully Bay with my grandma, long before he ever brought us here as kids?
There’s a knock on my door, and my heart jumps up my throat.
Small miracle I don’t scream.
My legs tremble as I push up to stand, wrapping my robe tighter.
