At the penthouse, I carry Mason inside while Harper fumbles for her keys with stiff fingers. He stirs slightly when I lift him, but he doesn’t wake, his small body going slack against my chest as if he’s finally letting go. I tuck him into bed gently, pulling the blanket up and smoothing his hair back from his forehead. The sight of him sleeping, unaware for the moment of how badly today could have gone, tightens something deep in my chest.
Harper stands in the doorway watching, her arms wrapped around herself. “He didn’t say anything in the car,” she murmurs.
“He’s processing. Kids do it differently.”
She nods again, but her eyes stay on Mason like she’s afraid he might vanish if she looks away. Once his door is closed, the quiet presses in hard.
Harper moves into the living room and sinks onto the couch, finally letting her shoulders slump. The composure cracks enough for her to press her hands over her face and breathe in sharp, uneven pulls.
“This doesn’t define you,” I say firmly. “Or what you built. A building can burn. The thing you created is bigger than walls and furniture.”
She laughs weakly. “That’s very inspirational.”
“I’m serious,” I insist. “You built a community. A place people loved. That doesn’t disappear because some asshole lit a match.”
Her head tips against my shoulder, exhaustion finally winning. “I don’t need inspiration right now, Aiden. I just need to breathe.”
I nod once. “Ice cream?”
She gives me a weak smile. “Don’t think I could if I tried. But thanks.” She exhales slowly, the sound heavy but grateful. We sit there like that for a long time, the weight of the night settling into something quieter but no less real. I can feel the anger coiled inside me, hot and dangerous, but I keep it contained.
The knock on the door cuts through her heaving breaths.
“I’ll get it,” I say quietly.
There, two uniformed officers stand in the hallway, faces set into professional seriousness. I recognize one of them from earlier at the scene, which is not a good sign. People don’t double back this fast unless something has shifted.
“Captain Sloan,” one of them says. “We need to speak with you and Ms. Lane. Now.”
Harper is already on her feet, arms wrapped tightly around herself, eyes searching my face for answers I don’t have yet. I gesture them inside and close the door behind them, lowering my voice instinctively even though Mason is asleep down the hall.
“What’s going on?” Harper asks.
The officer exhales slowly, like he hates being the one to say this. “We just got word from patrol units. Marcus Chen has been spotted.”
My jaw tightens. “Where?”
“Near this building,” he replies, meeting my eyes directly. “About three blocks away. He was picked up on a traffic camera and then again on a private security feed. He’s on foot now.”
Harper’s breath stutters. She grips the back of my arm as she needs it to stay upright. “He knows where I’m staying.”
“Yes,” the officer says gently. “And that’s why we’re here.”
The second officer steps forward. “Based on what we’re seeing, this is an escalation. He’s already committed arson. He left a signed note at the scene. We believe he may be attempting to confront you.”
Confrontis too clean a word for what Marcus clearly wants. Something dark and lethal settles into my chest. “Where is he now?”
“We don’t know exactly,” the officer admits. “But units are canvassing the area. We’re advising you not to leave this apartment.”
Her voice sharply wobbles. “And if the building goes up in smoke? What then?”
I shake my head. “That’s not usually how arsonists operate when closing in?—”
“Don’t give me that,” she snarls low. “Not when my son is on the line.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. What I meant to say is, he wants you to suffer, yeah, but he’ll want to see it.” I hate that I’m saying this as a comfort. “If he’s truly coming to kill you, he won’t set the building on fire. He’ll try to breech this apartment and come after you.”
Harper looks at me then, fear naked in her eyes, and something inside me snaps into absolute clarity. This isn’t about territory or pride or proving anything anymore. This is about keeping her and her son alive.
