Page 36 of Her Courage

The tightness in my chest eased, just slightly.

"Let's get inside," Kaleb murmured, already shifting to carry Lottie without waking her.

I held the door as Kaleb carried her through, Colby close behind us. His car was already waiting in the garage when we pulled in. Oscar secured the garage and began his sweep of the perimeter.

Inside, we worked in silent coordination. The kind that came from years of friendship and knowing each other's movements without words.

Colby grabbed the weighted blanket from the living room closet—the one Lottie loved that made her feel safe and secure.

I gathered bottles of water from the fridge, along with the container of trail mix and crackers she preferred when her stomach was upset.

Kaleb settled on the couch, arranging Lottie carefully across his lap. She stirred, blinking up at him with drowsy confusion.

"Daddy K?"

"Right here, baby girl." He smoothed her hair back from her face. "We're home now. You're safe."

Colby spread the weighted blanket over her, tucking it around her shoulders. "We've got you, little one."

I set the water and snacks on the coffee table within easy reach, then sank onto the couch beside Kaleb. My hand found Lottie's ankle, needing the physical connection to reassure myself she was here. She was safe.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the words muffled against Kaleb's chest. "I didn't know what to do. She threatened all of you, and I just⁠—"

"Shh." Kaleb pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You did exactly right. You kept her talking. You kept the phone connected so we could hear everything."

"You were so brave, kroshka." I squeezed her ankle gently. "Facing her down like that."

Lottie shook her head. "I wasn't brave. I was terrified."

"Brave isn't the absence of fear," Colby said quietly from his position in the armchair. "It's acting despite the fear. And you did that today."

She sniffled, reaching for one of the water bottles. Kaleb helped her twist the cap off, then guided it to her lips.

"Small sips," he murmured. "Don't want you getting sick."

My phone buzzed. My man from inside the county sheriff's office, Hardiun.

Harduin: Got her. Picked her up at her country club. She's not happy. Lawyer's already been called, but the recording is solid. Extortion. Threats. We'll make it stick.

I showed the message to Kaleb and Colby. Relief flooded Kaleb's features, the tension finally draining from his shoulders.

"It's done," I told Lottie. "Detectives have her. She can't hurt you now."

"But she said—the press—your reputation—" Lottie's words tumbled over each other in her panic.

"Baby girl." Kaleb tilted her face up to his. "Listen to me. My mother is all talk. She has nothing. No evidence. No photos. It was a bluff to scare you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've been watching her for months," Kaleb said, his voice hard. "Had a PI document everything. Every lunch. Every meeting. Every phone call. If she had anything substantial on us, she would have used it already. She's desperate and sloppy."

Lottie blinked. "You knew she'd try something?"

"I suspected." He stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I thought I had more time."

"None of us could have predicted she'd go this far this fast, much less that she'd involve Lottie," Colby added. "But it's over now. She's done."

I watched as the truth of our words finally penetrated Lottie's fear. Her body relaxed incrementally, melting into Kaleb's embrace.