“Does your landlord often slip envelopes under your door?” I already know the answer. It looks like Blair does, too, based on the way her frown deepens.
“Well, no.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I slide my finger beneath the flap and tug out the single piece of lined notebook paper folded inside. All I can hear is my heart pounding in my chest and Reed moving around in the bathroom as I unfold the letter.
“Oh my god,” Blair whispers as she reads the note over my shoulder.
Oh my god is right.
My hand shakes as I try to comprehend what I’m reading, but it doesn’t fully sink in until the third time.
I warned you, bitch. I told you to end things with Logan, and you didn’t.
Now you’ll pay.
“Night, guys. Don’t stay up too late doing st—” Reed’s voice cuts off.
When I look up from the letter, he’s wearing a scowl. I don’t know what I look like, but the color has drained from Blair’s face. If I look anything like that, it’s no wonder the kid looks instantly concerned and on alert.
“What happened?” His sharp brown eyes track to the letter gripped too tightly in my shaking hand. “What is that?”
Reed snatches it away from me before I can stop him, and I watch, helpless, as his expression shifts from worry to abject fear. He seems so young when he looks up at his sister, then me, with those big, brown eyes blown wide. “What the hell?”
“You don’t need to read that,” Blair says, grabbing the note from her little brother’s hand.
“You’ll pay?” he whispers. “What does that mean?”
Blair grabs Reed, pulling him into a fierce hug. She stares at me over his shoulder, silently asking me what to do while whispering reassurances to him.
“Both of you, pack a bag. Everything you need for the rest of the weekend. We’ll send Kai and Travis back for the rest of it.”
“What?” Blair blinks at me.
“You’re coming to stay with me. My building has security and a private garage. No one can just walk in off the street like they can here. So, pack a bag or two. I’m calling Kai and Travis to meet us here, then I’m calling the cops, and we’ll tell them they can meet us at my place if they want to ask us questions.”
“Are you sure?”
Leaning down, I press a firm kiss to Blair’s forehead. “Hell yeah. I should have insisted on this sooner. Now go pack.” I give her ass a little swat. She’s so out of it, lost in her worry, that she barely reacts. Not a good sign.
“Everything’s going to be all right,” I promise them as I tug them toward me and wrap my arms around them both.
“Promise?” Reed asks. His voice is quiet. Childlike. “You have to keep my sister safe.”
“I promise. I’m going to keep both of you safe. No one will hurt my family.”
Not ever.
fifty
BLAIR
“Yeah,we’ll let you know if they make contact again.” Logan stands, accepting the detective’s extended hand. “And you’ll let us know as soon as you get any new information?”
The detective nods, her severe salt-and-pepper bob barely moving, she has so much product in it. “Absolutely. Rest assured, we’re working on it.”
She says something else, but I don’t really hear it. My mind is a chaotic jumble of worries. All I can focus on is Reed’s head on the pillow on my lap as I run my fingers through his curls. He fell asleep an hour ago, but I can’t bring myself to stop.
“Do you want me to carry him to bed, or would you rather we all stay together out here?” Logan’s gentle question finally breaks through my haze, and I peer up at him. He looks tired and worried, but there’s none of the quiet resentment I grew used to in Noah’s expressions after my parents died. Because Logan isn’t Noah. And Logan isn’t going anywhere. I can see that now.
