“Promise me you won’t put yourself at risk. You’re pregnant, and I can’t—” My voice breaks. “I can’t have you in danger because of Steven.”
“Can I plead the fifth? I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”
“I’m serious. Please. Just be careful. Don’t do anything crazy without at least telling Noah. Or me. Preferably both of us.”
“Hey.” There’s no hint of joking in her tone now. “I’m not going to do anything stupid. But I’m also not going to sit on thesidelines while my sister is dealing with this. That’s not how we work, and you know it.”
“I agree, but some of the rules have to change when you’re pregnant.”
“The baby is fine. I’m fine. And I’m going to help you however I can, because that’s what sisters do.” She pauses. “I love you, Heather. You and April are my family. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper as another wave of emotions does its best to overwhelm me.
“We’re going to get through this,” she says with absolute certainty. “I mean it. This will pass and you’re going to come out better than ever on the other side, okay?”
“Okay. You’re right. I know it.”
“Good. Now go take care of April. Give her extra hugs from Aunt Margo. And sis?”
“Yeah?”
“Grant is a good man. Let him help you. Let him in. You deserve that.”
“I’m trying.” I glance over at Grant, who has moved to sit on the arm of the couch. He’s close enough to offer support but far enough to give me privacy for the call.
“I know you are. That’s all any of us can do.” I can hear her smiling through the phone. “Call me tomorrow, okay? We’ll figure out the next steps.”
“I will. And thank you.”
“Always. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I end the call and set the phone down, suddenly exhausted. The adrenaline that’s been keeping me upright is finally fading, leaving me feeling empty and shaky.
Grant immediately moves to sit beside me and pulls me into his side. I go willingly, tucking myself against him and letting my head rest on his shoulder.
“She said our whole family has my back.” I let out a shaky breath. “I forget sometimes that I’m not really alone.”
“You’re definitely not alone.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “You have your family. And you have me. And we’re going to make sure Steven never gets the chance to hurt you or April again.”
Chapter 42
Grant
The security company arrives early the next morning, but I’m already up and waiting when they pull into the driveway.
I spent most of the night doing research on the best home security systems money can buy. I’ve already spoken to three different companies, compared their offerings, read reviews, and settled on the one with the most comprehensive protection plan.
“Mr. Parker?” The lead technician extends his hand. “I’m Mike. We spoke on the phone last night.”
“Thanks for coming out so quickly.” I shake his hand and gesture toward the house. “I need this place locked down, with cameras on every entrance, motion sensors, and anything else you can give me. I want the works.”
“We can do that. Let me show you what we’re thinking.”
For the next hour, we walk the perimeter of the property while Mike outlines their plan. Cameras at every door and window. Motion-activated floodlights. A state-of-the-art alarm system that connects directly to a monitoring service, and smart locks that can be controlled from my phone.
“We can have everything installed by the end of the day,” Mike says. “And I’ll personally train you on the system before we leave.”
