Warner’s easy posture vanished, his shoulders squaring as his gaze sharpened on his boys.
Hailey’s voice faltered mid-sentence.
Raleigh stepped forward smoothly, her smile calm. “Hailey, sweetheart, why don’t we take a little break? Come help me in the kitchen to make a yummy snack.”
Hailey seemed confused but obeyed, padding toward her grandmother.
August reached for Emersyn, pulling her to him and kissing the top of her head before he addressed his brothers.
“Let’s meet in the office,” he said, voice way calmer than I felt. “Everyone else can stay out here with Hailey until she goes to bed.”
Skye cut him a look. “Why? I want to know what’s going on.”
August nodded. “You will. Fox will fill you in. But I need to talk to my brothers first.” He glanced at me briefly. “It won’t take us long.”
Skye still seemed displeased, but she gave him a tight nod.
The Ramsey men, except for Warner, all disappeared through a hallway off the right side of the living room.
I was left sitting there, frozen on the couch like a statue, my heart racing like the wings of a hummingbird.
Someone sat beside me on the couch and grabbed my hand.
It was Lark, her expression serious and sad. “You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not comfortable,” she started, hesitant. “But if you want to, we’re here to listen.”
I gnawed at my bottom lip, tasting blood. “A number I don’t know sent me a picture of Roman outside the bed-and-breakfast.” My voice cracked. “It said that I shouldn’t have left him alone.”
I closed my eyes against the horror of something happening. Nausea twisted my stomach.
Lark gripped my hand hard. “Roman can take care of himself,” she said.
She was trying to be reassuring, but it only made me feel worse. I knew he was strong and capable, but I also knew the power of not being alone. Roman was alone right now.
Lark looked at Emersyn, who stood with her hands splayed over her round belly. Skye had taken a seat on the other end of the couch, and Quinn had settled herself into the armchair Graham had been sitting in.
“I’m really sorry you got involved in all of this.” Lark sighed. “This house…it’s beautiful, but it’s not home.”
I squeezed her hand. “What if—what if the Shadow Stalker hurts him?”
Lark paled.
Emersyn stepped forward, her expression sharp. “Amos has no reason to hurt Roman,” she said, her voice so anger-soaked it was trembling.
“Then why is he threatening him?” My lips trembled, but I held back the building sob. “Why did he burn down Hearthstone?”
Emersyn’s deep-green eyes narrowed. “Because he’s pathetic. All Amos knows how to do is destroy things.”
She paused, a hand rubbing softly over her stomach. “I’m not sure if you know this, but Amos is my uncle.” She glanced at Lark, whose face seemed to heat under her stare. “And he’s Lark’s real father.”
I tensed. I had come across that fact in my research on the killer.
“Lark never knew him personally,” Emersyn continued. “But I did.”
Her anger was palpable, and I found myself wondering what it had been like for her—what it had been like when she had been abducted by him.
“Even though Amos is smart,” Emersyn went on, her voice steadying, “he’s not smarter than Roman. He’s not stronger, either.”
Lark nodded.
