Millie swallowed hard, her fingers still worrying the zipper. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, her eyes darting away from his.
“Millie, whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She exhaled shakily and finally looked up at him. “I think I did something stupid.”
He waited, not pushing.
“Before I came here,” she continued, her voice strained, “I used my laptop to search for information about this place. The computer I used—Garrick bought it for me. He set it up. And I just . . . I didn’t think about it at the time, but what if—what if heinstalled spyware on it? What if he can see everything I searched for?”
Caleb’s jaw tightened, but he kept his expression neutral. “Okay. That’s possible. But we set up safeguards. Our address isn’t listed on that website for that very reason.”
“But he’s clever . . . what if he found a way somehow?”
“I understand your concern, but it’s unlikely.”
“And then—” She pressed a hand to her forehead, her voice dropping. “After I got here, I went into your office and used your computer to log into his work calendar. I wanted to make sure he was still in DC, that he hadn’t followed me. I used his login. His password.”
Caleb’s chest tightened, but he kept his focus. “What did his calendar tell you?”
“That he was in DC. That his schedule was full of meetings and court dates. That he wasn’t here.”
Caleb nodded slowly.
She should have told him that earlier. She should have asked before using his computer.
He understood her reasoning—the fear reaction she’d had.
But that hadn’t been a wise move.
He swallowed hard as he tried to carefully choose his next words.
chapter
thirty-one
Caleb decidedto let Millie keep talking. Lecturing her would do no good right now.
But he really wished she’d trusted him more. That she’d told him this earlier. That she’d asked before jumping on his computer.
“I didn’t think about what that might mean.” Millie’s words came faster now. “Not until afterward. But if Garrick’s tech people happen to notice the login—if they trace the IP address—” She broke off, her hands trembling. “Caleb, what if I led him here? What if this man’s death is my fault?”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and she looked away, blinking hard.
Caleb stepped closer, his voice firm but kind. “Millie. Look at me.”
She hesitated, then lifted her eyes to his.
“You were trying to protect yourself,” he told her. “Trying to make sure you were safe. That’s not stupid. That’s survival.”
“But if Garrick knows?—”
“If he knows, we’ll deal with it. But right now, all we have are guesses. And even if he does have an idea about where you are,you’re not alone in this. You have us. We’ll be here to protect you.”
Millie shook her head, her expression tight. “You don’t understand. Garrick is—he’s . . . he’s relentless. He doesn’t stop. And if he knows I’m here, he’ll come. Or he’ll send someone. And people will get hurt.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Someone already did.”
Caleb saw it then—the way her weight shifted toward the driveway, toward the road beyond. The way her gaze flicked briefly toward the garage.
She was thinking about running, wasn’t she?
