I nodded, “If the worst happens, I’ll make sure they’re safe.”
They outlined protocols. No unannounced outings. All deliveries are scrutinized by building security first. Constant companion for Anna if she neededto leave for any approved reason. An armed officer stationed in the building's security center with direct feed to the new cameras. Another would stay overnight in our guest room.
Down the hall, I heard Daisy's sleepy voice. "Mrs. Rosa? Why are the men being so loud?"
"Just some repairs, mija," Mrs. Rosa said, her voice falsely bright. "Let's have a special camping trip in your daddy's big bed tonight, okay? It'll be an adventure."
"Can Anna come too?"
The innocent question landed like a punch. Anna's face crumpled, one hand pressing against her mouth to stifle a sound.
When Vance left to coordinate with building management, Anna finally broke.
"Look at this." She gestured wildly at the cameras, the reinforced doors, the toolboxes scattered across our floor. Her laugh was brittle, broken. "I did this. I turned your home into a—what did you call it? A fortress?" She looked at me, eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Daisy's sleeping in your room because she's too scared to be alone. Because I couldn't stay away from a man who wanted to kill me. Because I was too weak to?—"
I crossed the room in three strides and gripped her shoulders. "Anna, look at me."
She dragged her gaze up, tears finally spilling over.
"The man who killed my wife did this. The man who terrorized you did this. You are a victim in this, same as Daisy. Same as me. Same as Elena." My handstightened on her shoulders, willing her to understand. "The only blame you carry is the blame he forced on you with his threats two years ago. We are not doing that again. Do you understand? We deal with the threat in front of us. Together."
She swallowed hard, a shudder running through her. She gave a shaky nod, leaning into my touch just slightly, like a plant bending toward sunlight.
I wanted to pull her closer. Wanted to promise her things I had no right to promise yet. Instead, I let my thumbs stroke once across her shoulders, gently, before stepping back.
By midnight, the immediate fortifications were complete. The penthouse felt both safer and more like a prison. The familiar space had been violated by necessity. There were cameras in corners, a stranger sleeping in the guest room, and my daughter relocated to my bed because her own room suddenly felt too exposed.
I found Anna standing at the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, staring out at the glittering, indifferent city. Her silhouette was rigid with tension, her breath fogging the glass in small, rapid clouds.
"He's out there," she said without turning. Her voice was distant. "Watching, probably. Planning his next move. It's what he does. He waits. He studies. He finds the crack."
I came to stand beside her, close enough that our reflections overlapped in the glass. "He's also a fugitive. Every law enforcement agency in the state is lookingfor him. James has his picture at the top of his board. We have more eyes, more resources, more?—"
"He's patient." She turned to face me, her expression haunted. "That's what you don't understand. Carter can wait. He waited two months after the accident to make sure I was too terrified to speak. He'll wait however long it takes to find the perfect moment."
The way she said his name, as if he’d already defeated her, made something violent twist in my chest.
She looked up at me, her face pale in the reflected city light. "Jack, promise me something."
"Anything."
"If it comes down to it... if he forces a choice... You protect Daisy. You get her to safety. You don't think about me. Promise me." Her voice cracked on the last word.
A cold fist clenched around my heart. "That's not a choice I will ever make."
"You have to!" Her hands came up, pulling the neck of my shirt. "She's five years old, Jack. She's innocent. She'syours. I'm just?—"
"Stop." I caught her wrists, holding her hands against my chest where my heart hammered. "You don't get to volunteer yourself as a sacrifice, Anna. We protect each other. All of us."
I took a breath, the next admission feeling like stepping off a cliff with no idea how far the fall went.
"I need you to be safe. Not just for Daisy. For me, too."
The air between us crackled with the raw vulnerability of my confession. Her breath hitched. Her fingers uncurled against my chest, palms flattening over my heartbeat. For a moment, the looming threat outside the windows receded, replaced by the terrifying, beautiful slope we were standing on together.
Then my phone buzzed on the console table.
Shattering the moment like a brick through glass.
