Each word landed like a stone in my stomach, heavy with the knowledge of how little they’d matter. Dennis had never followed rules—not the law’s, not our mother’s, certainly not mine. A piece of paper saying “stay away” wouldn’t stop him. Nothing would.
“And,” the judge said, her voice taking on a harder edge, “he will maintain a distance of no less than five hundred feet from Daniel Jenkins and the property known as Black Butte Ranch at all times. Violation of any of these conditions will result in immediate revocation of bail and additional charges. Do you understand these terms, Mr. Jenkins?”
Dennis nodded, his eyes still on me. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Then bail is set at fifty thousand dollars. Next case.”
Just like that, it was over. The bailiff stepped forward, unlocking Dennis’s cuffs long enough to attach the ankle monitor—a bulky black thing that looked like something from a sci-fi movie. Dennis didn’t take his eyes off me the whole time, even as the bailiff explained the rules again, slower, like he was talking to a child.
People began to file out, the room emptying around us. Burke’s hand found mine, squeezing gently. “Let’s go,” he murmured.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. My legs felt like they were filled with concrete as I stood, Burke’s arm steadying me when I swayed. We filed into the aisle, Rawley leading the way with Macon close behind. Carter and Hooper brought up the rear, creating a living wall between me and the defense table.
It wasn’t enough. Nothing would ever be enough.
We’d almost reached the door when Dennis’s voice cut through the murmurs of the crowd. “This isn’t over, Danny!” he called, loud enough that everyone turned to look. “You hear me? This isn’t fucking over!”
The bailiff grabbed his arm, saying something too low for me to catch, but Dennis shook him off, eyes wild. “You think you can hide behind your new friends?” he spat. “You think they can protect you? I know where you live. I know where you work. I know everything about you, you little—“
The bailiff clamped a hand over Dennis’s mouth, physically restraining him now. “That’s enough,” he said sharply. “One more word and you’re spending another the night in a cell. Understood?”
Dennis went still, but his eyes—God, his eyes—never left mine. They promised things I didn’t want to think about, things that made my blood run cold.
Then we were through the door, into the relative quiet of the hallway, and I couldn’t hold it together anymore. My knees buckled, the strength going out of me all at once. I would have hit the floor if Burke hadn’t caught me, his arms coming around me to hold me up when I couldn’t do it myself.
“He’s going to come after me,” I whispered, the words tearing out of my throat. “He won’t stop. He never stops.”
My whole body was shaking now, tremors running through me like I was standing in the path of an earthquake. My vision blurred, tears spilling hot down my cheeks. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but cling to Burke as the reality of what had just happened crashed over me in waves.
Dennis was getting out. He’d be free to walk the streets, to drive past the ranch, to wait for his chance. And when it came—because it would, it always did—he’d make sure I paid for every second he’d spent in that cell. For every bruise the police had photographed, every statement I’d given, every moment I’d dared to exist outside his control.
“He’s going to kill me,” I said, the certainty of it crushing my chest. “He’s going to find me and he’s going to kill me.”
“No, he’s not.” Burke’s voice was steady, his heartbeat strong against my ear where he’d tucked my head against his chest. “He’s not getting anywhere near you. Not now, not ever.”
I shook my head, too far gone to be comforted. “You don’t know him. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“I know exactly what he’s capable of,” Burke said, a new edge entering his voice. “And I know exactly what I’m capable of. Let him try,” he growled, the alpha in him rising to the surface. “He’ll have to go through all of us first.”
I looked up then, blinking through tears to find the others arranged in a loose circle around us—Rawley with his arms crossed, face set in grim lines; Macon standing silent and watchful beside Carter, who was shooting worried glances at thecourtroom door; Hooper already on his phone, probably calling in reinforcements.
Five men. Four alphas and an omega. Five people who’d shown up, who’d chosen to stand between me and the monster who’d haunted my nightmares for a decade. Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Because somehow, against all odds, I mattered to them.
Something shifted in my chest—fear making room for something warmer, something that felt almost like hope. Not the blind, desperate kind I’d carried as a child, but something steadier. Something earned.
And beneath that, alongside it, a new emotion was taking root—a quiet, burning rage that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the life growing inside me. Our baby. Our future. The one thing Dennis couldn’t take from me, no matter what he did.
My hand moved to my stomach, the gesture unconscious but sure. I’d spent ten years running, hiding, making myself small enough to escape notice. I’d let Dennis take my childhood, my education, my sense of safety. I’d given him pieces of myself I could never get back.
But I’d be damned if I let him take one more thing. Not my freedom, not my home, and certainly not the tiny spark of life Burke and I had created together.
“That’s it,” Burke murmured, feeling the change in me. “There you are.”
I took a deep breath, then another, forcing air into lungs that had forgotten how to work. The shaking was easing, my vision clearing. I was still terrified—would be, probably, for a long time—but the paralyzing wave of panic was receding, leaving determination in its wake.
“I’m okay,” I said, voice steadier than I’d expected. “We should go. Before...” I trailed off, not needing to finish the thought.
Rawley nodded, already moving toward the exit. “Car’s out back,” he said. “We’ll take the service entrance.”
