When she got out of this, she was definitely hitting the gym. Maybe even hiring a trainer. Something to make sure this never happened again.
She tried to stand again.
“Don’t.”
The word landed like a physical blow.
She froze.
A big brute stood ahead of her, his weapon trained dead center. His face was unreadable. Not angry. Just final.
She frantically glanced through the trees. Open space. Shadows. Gaps in the trees that promised nothing. If she could just get up, just move…
Move where?
Run on one leg? Even if she could?
Another man stepped into view. Then another. Quiet. Guns drawn, faces taut with focus.
It felt unreal. Like something she’d watched on television in the safety of her home, far removed from consequences and pain.
Hands grabbed her from behind, ignoring her yelp as her arms were wrenched back. Her wrists were locked tight. The cuffs bit into her skin.
Absurd.
That was the word that stuck.
What was she going to do? Limp away? Hobble into the trees and vanish?
A giggle bubbled up, escaping before she could stop it. It kept coming, spilling out of her in little bursts she couldn’t quite control.
“Suspect in custody,” one of the men said into a radio.
So calm, like he was reporting the weather.
Dana stared at the dirt on her boots, her laughter finally fading, and thought,I don’t deserve this.
Back at the kitchen barn,Caleb didn’t let go of Mia.
Not when the sirens faded into the distance. Not when the adrenaline began to ebb, leaving her trembling. He stayed on the floor with her, one arm around her shoulders, the other firm at her back, holding her upright while the shaking tore through her.
He murmured to her low and steady, words she barely registered but felt all the same.You’re safe. I’ve got you.
The sound of his voice slowed her just enough. The panic loosened a fraction.
He didn’t rush her. Didn’t tell her to breathe slower. He just stayed solid and unmovable until her body finally believed it.
Gradually, the tremors softened. Her breathing evened out. Her grip on his shirt loosened, the panic dulling.
When Nate’s voice came through Caleb’s radio, Caleb closed his eyes for a brief second. Just long enough to let the tension drain from his shoulders, to unclench his jaw.
“Good,” he said simply.
It wasn’t a celebration. Just confirmation that the net had closed.
Mia sighed with relief, lowering her forehead to rest on his shoulder. The barn felt quieter now. Safer.
Minutes passed.
