When he was waiting in the parking lot after every shift, I didn't feel controlled. I feltwanted.
When he made sure I was never alone, I didn't feel weak.
I felt safe.
It was a dangerous feeling. The kind I'd spent my whole life avoiding.
My mother had been safe. Protected by my father's money, his connections, his name. And she'd become a ghost. A beautiful, empty woman whose entire identity revolved around a man who saw her as a possession.
I'd sworn I'd never be that.
But this was different. Brian wasn't trying to own me. He wasn't using protection as control.
He was just there. Steady. Present. Absolutely certain I was worth showing up for.
CHAPTER 9
Brian
I checkedunder Ava's car every morning now.
It had become routine. Part of the rhythm of this new life I barely recognized. Check the locks. Check the windows. Check under the car for anything that shouldn't be there.
Some mornings, my hands shook. Others, they didn’t.
Vary the route to the hospital. Never the same streets twice.
Some mornings, my hands shook. Others, they didn’t.
Vary the route to the hospital. Never the same streets twice.
I didn't like who I was becoming. But I liked the alternative less.
At the firehouse, Shane found me in the equipment bay, running checks I'd already run twice. He leaned against the engine, arms crossed, wearing the look of someone who'd known me too long to be fooled.
"You look like hell, Torres."
"I'm fine."
"You don’t look fine." He didn't move, just kept watching.
I set down the coupling I'd been inspecting. My hands were steadier than they'd been yesterday. Small mercies.
"Someone grabbed her, Shane. Outside the hospital. Told her to recant. Or else."
Shane's expression shifted. The easy humor drained away, replaced by something harder. "When?"
"Three days ago. She's got bruises on her arm. Finger-shaped." The words came out flat, like I was reading from a report. It was easier that way. "The Langs sent a message."
"Jesus." Shane ran a hand over his face. "What about Detective Diaz? She's been solid so far. Maybe she can do something with this. File a report, increase patrols. Make noise."
He was right. Diaz had been the only one who treated this case like it mattered. She'd pushed through when the Langs' lawyers blocked her at every turn, gotten Kevin arrested when everyone said it couldn't be done. If anyone could help, it would be her.
"Yeah," I said. "I'll call her."
Shane nodded. "Let me know what she says." He caught my eye. "And Torres. We figure this out together. You're not carrying this alone."
I called Detective Diaz that afternoon.
