Ellie brings me a plate of pancakes. Everyone eats standing or perched on furniture, the energy of a household that has places to be.
The bus honks outside.
“I’ll take her out,” Laurie says smoothly. She guides Zoe toward the door, chatting about her day, keeping things perfectly normal.
The moment the door closes behind them, the mood shifts.
Garlen straightens. “We need to talk about security before Ellie and I leave for work.”
I set down my fork and wipe at my mouth with a napkin. Right. Reality.
Jonus takes a seat next to me and nods in agreement.
“I got out of that pit alive, but Aldridge is still out there gunning for me,” I say. “The guards who survived the extraction will have reported what happened. Green skin isn’t exactly subtle.” I gesture at the three orcs in the room. “It won’t take long for someone to connect Jonus Irontree to the rescue. And from there...”
“From there they find Truckee,” Garlen finishes.
I bite at my lower lip. “They find all of you.”
Silence.
I admit my biggest fear. What I’ve been feeling since the moment we stepped through the front door last night. “I can’t help but feel I shouldn’t be here. I’m putting everyone in danger. Zoe is six years old. I can’t?—”
“Stop.” Ellie’s voice is firm. She crosses her arms over her belly. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“But—”
“Honey.” Laurie has returned. She squeezes my shoulder. “We’ve been through threats before. This isn’t our first rodeo. We’re not abandoning you.”
Dane nods, measured and calm. “This is simply a continuation of what happened to Anna. Two of the criminals were caught, but the third is still at large and trying to shut you down before you can give law enforcement the final bits of evidence needed to actually imprison this human. We want you to have the ability to get your information to the proper officials. We are not leaving you alone in this. So instead, the question is how we help you and also prepare for when there is an inevitable attack.”
Now I start twirling my hair. “I know all about what happened to Anna Kim, the entire story in detail. This is why I started investigating Aldridge, because I was enraged that he got away when he should obviously be behind bars. I appreciate that all of you feel that you want me to stay, but don’t you have a commune in Maine? I can’t help but wonder if it would help if we left and went there instead?”
“No. We stay here. We tried that before, sending Anna to the commune in Maine to keep her safe. The mercenaries found her anyway,” Jonus says. His jaw is tight. “They attacked the cabin with a scent bomb and tried to kill them both.”
“Ugh, that’s right,” I say, running my hands through my hair. “I forgot where she was when that happened. They were at thecommunewith all that security and they still weren’t safe?”
“The commune is big,” Garlen explains. “Isolated cabins spread over a lot of territory. The mercenaries found a way in through the wall.”
“We learned our lesson after that,” Dane says. “After the attack, Garlen and I both had safe rooms built in these houses.”
“Safe rooms?”
Aldar nods. “This house has one off the upstairs master bedroom. Reinforced walls, steel door, independent ventilation, supplies for seventy-two hours. Communication equipment and an emergency beacon that alerts both local law enforcement and the commune in Maine.”
“My house has one in the basement,” Dane adds. “Same specs.”
I process this new information. “All of you are okay with me staying here, even if that means that we very well might end up running into one of those safe rooms?” I look over at Ellie. “Even you and Zoe?”
She grabs my hand and squeezes. “Yes. We’re all in this together. You are investigating to keep my best friend, Anna, safe. And in return you were almost killed. You have no idea how brave I think you are. Like we said before, you are always welcome here, Sloane, and we will do what it takes to keep you safe.”
“Do you agree to this?” Jonus questions. “Do you want to stay here, or would you rather relocate?”
I grin, trying to keep things light despite the warmth behind my eyes. “Oh, I’d rather stay here.”
My new orc boyfriend exhales in relief.
“Good…Good,” Garlen says. “You staying here is the best choice. Jonus will show you where the safe room is and make sure you know the access code.”
