She didn’t need to finish the threat. I understood completely.
Chapter 12
Jake
The cabin came into view as we crested the hill, a small, weathered structure nestled among the pines. Smoke curled from the chimney, and light glowed in the windows. The UTV was parked out front, confirming my suspicions.
I pulled over about a hundred yards away, cutting the engine as Declan pulled up behind us. “We go on foot from here,” I whispered to all of them. “Stay low and quiet.”
We crept through the trees, the fresh snow muffling our footsteps. As we got closer, I could make out voices— Caleb’s low rumble and, to my immense relief, Nora’s higher pitch. She didn’t sound scared, thankfully.
I gestured for Ella to stay hidden behind a large pine while I moved closer to one of the windows. Peering inside, I saw Nora sitting at a small table, coloring, but she wasn’t alone. Seated beside her was a man I’d never seen before. Dark hair, expensiveclothes, features that reminded me of Nora’s. He was watching her draw with an expression of wonder, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was real.
My breath caught. This wasn’t a kidnapping. This was a reunion.
Caleb stood by the fireplace, arms crossed, watching them. His posture was relaxed but vigilant, like a bodyguard rather than a captor.
I felt Ella come up behind me, her breath warm against my neck. “What is it?” she whispered. “Is Nora—”
When she peered through the window, she froze. All the blood drained from her face. “Mikhail,” she breathed.
Declan caught her arm as she lunged forward. “Wait,” he hissed. “Something’s not right.”
Through the glass, I could see Nora laughing at something the man—Mikhail—had said. She pushed a crayon toward him, encouraging him to color with her. The scene was so normal, so peaceful, it made no sense with everything we knew.
“I need to get in there,” Ella said, her voice shaking.
“We go together,” I insisted. “Slowly.”
We approached the front door, guns ready but lowered. I knocked once, firmly.
The door opened almost immediately. Calebstood there, relief washing over his face when he saw us. “Thank God,” he said. “I’ve been trying to call you.”
Before I could respond, Ella pushed past him. “Nora!”
“Mom!” Nora looked up from her coloring, face brightening. “Look who I’m drawing with! It’s Caleb’s friend, Mr. Mikhail. He knows all about foxes!”
Mikhail stood slowly, his eyes fixed on Ella. “Eleanora,” he said softly. “It’s been a long time.”
I stepped between them, my hand on my weapon. “Someone better start explaining, fast.”
Caleb closed the door behind us. “I know how this looks, Jake, but it’s not what you think. Mikhail isn’t the threat—his father is.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that?” I demanded. “After you took Nora without a word? And disabled the security system?”
“Because I knew you’d be tracked,” Caleb said urgently. “The PI, Kozlov—he works for Mikhail’s father. He’s been watching the house, monitoring your movements. I couldn’t risk calling to explain.”
Ella had pulled Nora into her arms, holding her protectively. “You’re supposed to be dead,” she said to Mikhail, her voice flat.
He nodded. “I was supposed to be, yes. That was the plan.”
“What plan?” I asked.
Mikhail glanced at Nora, then back to us. “Perhaps the little one should finish her drawing in the other room while we talk?”
Ella shook her head. “She stays with me.”
“Nora,” Caleb said gently. “There are some cookies in the kitchen. Why don’t you take your coloring stuff in there while the grown-ups talk? It’s just through that door.”
