Amos had been gone eight hours.
Across the room, Lark’s hands trembled. Emersyn stared into the fire like she could see a future she didn’t want. Mom’s jaw was tight and stubborn. Roman looked ready to go to war. Reid looked sick.
My family—my whole damn family—was terrified.
And I was, too.
27
Quinn
AfterAugustandFoxdisappeared to head to the Hearthstone Security office, Roman took out his phone, glancing at Graham and Reid. “I’ll keep an eye on the security camera feeds. If someone gets near this house, I’ll know.”
Reid nodded. Graham stepped closer, his heat washing over me.
The room buzzed with stress. Everyone waited with anxious unease.
I was stunned. Hollowed. I wasn’t sure how to react.
For months, I had forced myself to see Amos Anderson through the lens of a defense attorney with the presumption of innocence. It was my job.
It was now impossible not to see the destruction he’d carved into this family.
I glanced at where Emersyn and Lark sat on the couch. I’d reviewed both of their statements. They had both been extremely affected by Anderson. Before, I hadn’t been able to let that testimony affect me. It was nothing but words on paper, but now I was too close to these people.
My throat tightened painfully. I swallowed, but the lump didn’t move. I turned to Graham. He still held my hand, his grip warm and steady in the middle of all the chaos.
“I should probably make some calls,” I rasped.
I didn’t know how to handle this. I didn’t know what the best thing to do was or how to help. All I knew how to do was work.
He looked at me, and the sight nearly knocked the air from my lungs. He looked scared.
The faint lines on his forehead and between his brows were carved deeper. He looked so weary, I wanted to hug him. I wanted to pull him into my arms and hold him until that exhaustion eased. But I didn’t.
He pushed his other hand through his hair and nodded. He squeezed my fingers once, firm and grounding, before gently letting me go.
I stepped out of the living room—but I didn’t go far. I stayed in the foyer where I could see them, but had enough privacy to make a call.
My hands shook as I pulled out my phone. I hesitated on Preston’s name before hitting the call button. It rang. And rang. And rang.
No answer.
I let out a long sigh. Maybe he didn’t know what had happened yet.
Or maybe he was still furious at me for rejecting him yesterday.
I pulled up George’s name instead. It was late and he might not answer either.
A loud curse exploded from the living room.
I snapped my head up as Roman stormed across the foyer, his heavy footsteps rattling the floorboards.
I shoved my phone into my pocket on instinct as Graham followed on his heels.
Roman wrenched the front door open so hard it slammed into the wall. “Don’t come any closer to this house,” he barked, voice deep and thunderous, the kind of tone that would freeze anyone in their tracks. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?”
My blood ran cold. Someone was here. Someone they didn’t recognize.
