“A private investigator,” I whispered, mindful ofNora still watching us. “He knows who I am, Jake. He called me Petrova.”
Jake’s face hardened. “Get your things. We’re leaving now.”
I didn’t argue. “Frank,” I called, my voice shaking slightly. “Family emergency. I need to go.”
Frank looked between us, concern etched on his face. “Go, go. I’ll manage.”
Five minutes later, we were in Jake’s truck, Nora securely buckled in the backseat. Jake drove with one hand on the wheel, the other holding his phone to his ear.
“Caleb,” he said when his brother answered. “We’ve got a situation. Someone approached Ella at the bakery. Private investigator asking about her past.” He listened for a moment. “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too. We’re headed back now.”
He hung up and glanced at me. “You okay?”
I nodded, though I felt anything but okay. My mind was racing, replaying every word of the encounter. “He knew, Jake. He knew my real name, and he kept looking at Nora.”
“We’ll figure this out,” he promised, reaching across to squeeze my hand. “You’re not alone, remember?”
In the rearview mirror, I could see Nora watching us, her small face solemn. She didn’t fully understand what was happening, but she knewenough to be afraid. I forced a smile for her benefit.
“Everything’s fine, sweetheart,” I lied. “Just a busy day.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded anyway, returning to her coloring book.
“I need to call Kane and warn him,” I said, pulling my cellphone out of my pocket. While I did that, Jake kept Nora busy asking her a ton of questions.
When I hung up, he drove faster than was safe on the icy roads, checking the mirrors frequently as if expecting to be followed. I found myself doing the same, scanning each car we passed for signs of the sleek black sedan Kozlov had arrived in.
When we pulled into my driveway, Caleb was waiting on the porch, tension evident in the set of his shoulders. He met us halfway to the house.
“No one’s been by,” he reported. “But I got a call from the vet. Scout’s doing better—they’re saying he might be able to come home tomorrow.”
Relief washed through me. At least that was one piece of good news. “Thank you for checking on him.”
Inside, I sent Nora to her room to play while the three of us gathered in the kitchen. I recounted every detail of my encounter with Kozlov, trying not to let my voice shake.
“He knew exactly who I was,” I finished. “There was no doubt, no question. Mikhail’s father had tohave sent him.”
Jake paced the length of the kitchen, his expression thunderous. “This is escalating too quickly. First the package, then Scout, now this guy showing up in broad daylight.”
“They’re testing boundaries,” Caleb said quietly. “Seeing how far they can push before we push back.”
I looked between the brothers, struck by how similar they suddenly seemed—the same hard set to their jaws, the same calculating look in their eyes. These were men who understood violence, who had faced threats before.
“What do we do?” I asked.
Jake stopped pacing. “We need more information. Who this guy really is, who he’s working for, how much they know about you and Nora.”
“And in the meantime?” My voice cracked slightly. “I can’t keep Nora home from school forever. I can’t stop living our lives.”
“You stay at my place or the lodge,” Jake said firmly. “Both of you. At least until we know more.”
I wanted to argue, to assert that I could protect my own daughter, but the truth was, I was terrified. If they knew where I worked, they knew where Nora went to school. They could be watching us right now.
“Okay,” I agreed. “For now.”
Jake nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “I need to make some calls. See if I can dig up some information on this Kozlov. See if he’s really a PI or something else.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warmth of the kitchen. “Do you think he’ll come back? To the bakery, I mean.”
