“Aren’t I always?”
“More than usual,” she insists.
“I’m listening,” I reply.
She studies me for a second, then nods like she understands more than she lets on. “Addison?”
I swallow a mouthful of food I can barely taste. “Everything is already in place. I already verified the Kenyan route and spoke with my contacts.”
“And she’ll be okay?”
“She will,” I assure her.
Kate exhales slowly. “Thank you.”
Julian squeals, dropping his spoon, but I catch it before it hits the floor. His eyes go wide, impressed.
“See?” Kate smiles. “He thinks you’re magic.”
I huff quietly and hand Julian his spoon back.
Kate reaches for her glass, her hand brushing mine by accident. The contact is brief, electric, and grounding in a way that pisses me off because it shouldn’t be. I don’t let myself lean into it or let myself believe in moments that can be taken away.
Just as I am about to take another bite, the alarms go off. Not one, but all of them. The low, layered wail of motion sensors, thermal, and perimeter breach alarms reverberates through the house, red indicators lighting up on every screen at once.
They can only mean one thing: multiple contacts. Fuck!
Julian startles at the sound, lower lip wobbling. My chair is already scraping back before Kate can speak.
“Ryder—“
“Follow me,” I snap, already moving. “Now!”
“Do those mean what I think they mean?” she cries, scooping Julian up in her arms, heart pounding hard enough that I can see it in her throat.
“Yes. They are here. They found us,” I affirm, glancing at the nearest monitor.
Heat signatures bloom across the screen. I count five, no—eight men. All carrying assault rifles, night optics, and no attempt at stealth. This is intimidation, not infiltration. They want me to know they’re here by spreading all over the property, taking strategic positions.
“There’s a safe room in the basement,” I explain to Kate, already heading for the reinforced door.
She hesitates for half a second, just long enough for fear to flash across her face, then she nods and follows. Julian starts to cry, sensing the shift and the sharp edge in the air.
I open the steel door, usher them inside, Ash rising immediately and pressing close to Kate’s legs—alert and silent. Rook is already at my heel, body tense and ready for action.
I look at Kate, keeping my tone stern but soft so as not to startle her more than she already is. “This lock stays sealed until I open it. No matter what you hear.”
Her eyes search mine. “Ryder—“
“I will come back,” I decree, then glance at Julian, whose face is buried into her neck. “I’ll keep you both safe. Keep Ash with you, just in case.”
There is a lot more to say, but now is not the time, so I hold my tongue.
Kate nods, knowing I have her back. “Please be safe out there.”
“I will.”
Our eyes are locked in place until the door seals with a heavy, final sound. I stand there a half second longer than necessary, hand still resting against the cold metal. I turn away before instinct makes me do something stupid, like reopen the door just to see Kate’s face one more time.
