She nodded, the first real clarity breaking through the fear. “I trust you.”
Kylee sat on the edge of the sofa, holding Macy in her lap while Kayla slept quietly beside her. Rio paced slowly, his jaw tight, fists clenching and unclenching as he thought.
“Kylee,” he said finally, stopping to face her, “when I get my hands on Jake… he’s going to regret ever crossing you. Crossing us.” His voice was low, simmering with controlled anger.
Kylee swallowed hard, still shaken from everything. “I don’t even know what he’s capable of. I just… I want the kids safe. I don’t want them to see any of this.”
“I’ve got a plan,” Rio said, sitting next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “I want you and the kids to go stay with Kelly for a couple of days. Jake would never expect you to leave. I’ll have her house completely surrounded with security at every entrance, every exit, and no way he gets in.”
Kylee looked at him, a mixture of relief and worry in her eyes. “Do you think that’s a safe route?”
“He’s not going to touch you. Not a hair on your pretty little head,” Rio said firmly. “And I’m brewing up a little plan myself. Let’s just say… Jake will feel some of the hurt he’s caused you. He’ll understand what it means to lose control.”
He paused, his eyes dark with determination. “But first, we get you and the kids safe.”
Kylee nodded, finally exhaling. “Okay… I’ll call Kelly.”
She grabbed her phone and dialed. “Kelly, it’s me… The kids and I need to come stay with you for a bit. Everything… everything’s gone sideways with Jake.”
“Holy shit!” Kelly screamed into the phone. “Of course you guys can come! Don’t even think twice. We’ll make sure he never even gets close.”
Kylee smiled weakly, grateful for the support. “Thanks, Kelly. I’ll be there soon.”
Hanging up, she looked at Rio. “You really think he’s going to pay for what he’s done?” Rio leaned closer, voice low and deliberate. “Not just pay. He’s going to understand every ounce of the pain he put you through… and it’s going to be satisfying.”
Kylee felt a shiver run through her part fear, part excitement. For the first time in days, she felt a spark of hope.
Between Rio’s protection and his calculated plan, maybe just maybe they could finally take back control. Rio moved like a man on a mission, calling his head of security before Kylee even finished packing the kids’ things.
“I want a full sweep of Kelly’s property before we arrive,” he ordered. “Lock it down tight. No one in, no one out without clearance. Especially one specific son of a bitch.”
By the time the kids were bundled into the SUV, the driveway outside Rio’s mansion was lined with two blacked-out SUVs full of security detail. Rio helped Macy into her booster seat, handed Jake Jr. a bag of snacks, and made sure Kayla was buckled in and kissed Kylee bye.
The convoy pulled out, taking a route Rio’s driver knew would shake any potential tail. Security SUVs ran point and followed behind, blocking any suspicious cars from getting close. Kylee watched the city lights blur past, holding her children close.
They hopped on the private jet and headed to New Orleans. At Kelly’s, the gates were already shut, guards stationed like statues. Kelly ran out the front door the second she saw them. “Oh my god! You’re really here!” she said, hugging Kylee tight. “You’re safe now, I promise.”
Security fanned out across the property, radios crackling as they secured every perimeter point. Back at his mansion, Rio closed the door behind him, his mind racing. He knew Jake wouldn’t give up easily; he was a man who thrived on control and had no concept of boundaries. Rio’s jaw tightened. Not this time.
He descended the stairs to the basement, where the shadows pooled in the corners, the only light coming from a single hanging bulb. Tools, plans, and materials were already laid out; he had been thinking about this moment long before Jake’s next move.
“This ends on my terms,” Rio muttered to himself, running a hand along the polished wood and steel that would become his fortress. Every bolt, every panel, every hidden compartment was designed for one purpose: keeping Kylee and the kids safe, and making sure Jake would regret ever crossing them.
He paused, letting his mind wander to Kylee’s safety at Kelly’s. He had left them there for now, shielded from Jake’s obsessive stalking. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s protected like never before.
Rio grabbed a blueprint, spreading it across the workbench. “Time to build something that Jake can’t even dream of getting through,” he said, a cold fire in his eyes. Sweat beaded his forehead as he began constructing, hammer strikes echoingthrough the basement a rhythmic promise of the plan taking shape, brick by brick, lock by lock, and obstacle by obstacle.
Meanwhile, miles away, Jake prowled the city streets, eyes darting, fingers tapping, heart racing, completely unaware that Rio was already three steps ahead, preparing a defense he wouldn’t see coming.
Rio’s basement had always been a quiet, utilitarian space storage, a few workout machines but tonight it transformed under his hands. Every step he took was deliberate, precise, as if the shadows themselves were part of his plan. He started by clearing the space completely, moving crates and old furniture into corners, leaving only the bare concrete floor and walls.
Blueprints were pinned to the wall: intricate layouts, security features, hidden panels, reinforced doors. He measured twice, drilled once, and the sound of metal on concrete echoed like a drumbeat of intent. Shelves were mounted strategically, walls fortified, and a small, reinforced window he’d found in an old closet was repositioned to serve a very particular view.
Rio paused, stepping back, and let his imagination run. This isn’t just a safe room. Not just a fortress.There was a line in his mind between protection and pleasure, control and surrender, and he smiled faintly. The room would be extraordinary in ways Kylee couldn’t even begin to imagine.
As the space began to take shape, Rio moved on to the centerpiece he had envisioned. A custom chair, sleek and commanding, was built within a reinforced glass box. From the outside, it was clear someone could sit there, yet the clever design meant that no sound escaped.
Every detail mattered: the angles, the strength of the glass, the placement in the center of the room. Even the lighting was carefully considered, soft and hypnotic, meant to cast shadows in ways that would accentuate every movement, every gesture.
