Darren hesitated. “So… what’s the move?”
Jake took a long drag, exhaled slowly. “We stop playing nice. We get inside her head. I want her looking over her shoulder every damn second. I want her to be afraid to sleep.”
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Inside wasn’t jewelry, it was the charm bracelet he’d given Kylee years ago, the one she thought she lost. He turned it in his palm, smiling darkly.
“We’re going to give her something… personal. Something that says I’ve been closer than she realizes.”
Darren shifted uncomfortably. “You’re talking about breaking into the property. Again.”
Jake’s gaze cut to him like a blade. “I’m talking about finishing this. If Rio wants to play hero, he better be ready to bleed for it.”
In the distance, the faint movement of guards patrolling the grounds made Jake’s jaw tighten. He flicked the cigarette out the window, the sparks scattering into the night.
“Drive,” he ordered. “We’ll come back when the lights go out.”
As Darren started the engine, Jake took one last look at the fortress ahead. In his mind, it wasn’t a question of if he’d get to her. It was when. Hours later, the hills surrounding Rio’s mansion were silent, the city lights far below like a scatter of stars. Inside the car,
Jake sat in the driver’s seat now, engine off, eyes on the shadowy property.
Darren was pale. “Man… this is bad idea territory.”
Jake smirked. “Bad ideas are the only ones worth having.”
They’d been watching for hours, noting the security patterns when the guards switched sides, where the cameras angled. When the east gate guard disappeared into the shadows for his timed sweep, Jake made his move. He was out of the car, moving with a hunter’s precision. Black cap pulled low, gloves on, every step silent. He found the low point in the perimeter wall Darren had pointed out earlier and scaled it in seconds.
The mansion loomed ahead, a dark silhouette of glass and steel. Jake skirted the edge of the property, staying in the blind spots, until he reached the back patio doors. A sliding panel of glass was locked, but the latch was laughably simple. Click.He was in.
Inside was eerily quiet polished marble, designer furniture, and the faint scent of whatever expensive candle Kylee liked to burn. Jake moved like a shadow through the hallways until he found it. Kayla’s room. He crouched beside her tiny bed, listening to her soft, steady breathing. For a split second, his jaw tightened not in regret, but in dark satisfaction.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out the black velvet box again, but this time it wasn’t the bracelet. This time, it was a small, carved wooden horse.
The exact one Kylee had kept on her nightstand. Jake sat it on the pillow beside Kayla’s head. Then, moving to the dresser, he took out a single sheet of paper. In bold black marker, he wrote:
I’m Still Around. You Will Be Sorry!
He left it leaning against the pillow, right where Kylee would see it in the morning. With the same care he’d entered, Jake retraced his steps and slipped out into the night. By the time Darren saw him emerge from the trees and slide into the passenger seat, Jake was grinning.
“Done,” he said simply.
“What the hell did you do in there?” Darren asked.
Jake lit another cigarette, the smoke curling lazily into the air. “Left a reminder. Nothing more… for now.”
Morning sunlight spilled across the rainbow-themed room as Kylee tiptoed in to check on Kayla and Macy. The girls were still asleep, tangled up in blankets and stuffed animals. Kylee’s eyes landed on something out of place on Kayla’s pillow, a small, carved wooden horse.
Her stomach dropped. She picked it up slowly, running her fingers over the familiar craftsmanship. No… Her breath caught. She knew exactly whose writing this was.
Before she could think further, Rio came running down the hallway. “Kylee,” he said, his voice tight with concern, “we need to talk. Security’s going on high alert. I just got word that someone was on the property last night.”
Kylee’s heart raced, the carved horse trembling slightly in her hands. “Jake… he came here! He left something on Kayla’s pillow”
“You and the kids are safe. I need you to stay calm, pack what you need, and trust me we’re not letting him get anywhere near you.”
Kylee sank into a chair, the reality of the situation hitting her in waves. She had given in to Rio, found moments of happiness, and now Jake’s obsession was escalating fast, dark, and unpredictable.
Her hands shook as she clutched the horse. Rio’s words were calm, commanding, and protective, but the tension in the air was suffocating. He knows exactly where I am. And he doesn’t care who he hurts to get to me.
Rio’s voice softened. “We will get through this, Kylee. I promise. Just stay with me, and we’ll figure it out together.”
