Chapter 14 Jack #2
"He's upping the stakes," James said, his voice tight. "Trying to paralyze you with fear. Make you do something stupid. I'm tracing this number now, probably a burner, but we'll try. I'll call the Marshals. This escalates it to an imminent threat against a minor. It changes everything."
Throughout the call, I didn't realize I'd reached out until Anna's hand was in mine.
Her fingers were ice-cold. I held them tightly, anchoring us both to something solid while James talked about BOLO alerts, FBI involvement, and tactical response teams. The words washed over me, important but distant.
What mattered was the small, cold hand in mine and the little girl sleeping down the hall.
When I hung up, I turned to Anna. She was shaking, full-body tremors she couldn't control.
"Listen to me." My thumb stroked over her knuckles, the gesture instinctive. "He's trying to get inside our heads. He wants us scared, making mistakes, running. We will not."
I led her to the sofa, not letting go of her hand. We sat, and I angled toward her, needing her to see my certainty even if I didn't entirely feel it.
"The rule is simple, Anna. Until he's in custody, you do not leave this apartment. Not for any reason. Not for the foundation, not for a walk, nothing. Vance or I will be with you at all times."
She nodded, her terror-stricken eyes locked on mine. "Okay."
"I called Margaret earlier," I said, shifting to something practical to ground us both.
"Told her about the situation. Your Saturday reading is cancelled.
Everyone at the foundation is on alert; they know not to give out any information about you to anyone.
Emma Reed texted too, asking if we were okay. "
The mention of the foundation, of Margaret’s concern, and Emma's kindness seemed to calm her down slightly. A reminder that life existed beyond this siege. That there were still good people, still things worth protecting.
"Emma wanted me to tell you that the kids asked about you," I added softly. "They made you drawings. She's keeping them safe until you can come back."
A tear slipped down Anna's cheek. "If I can come back."
"When," I corrected firmly. "When you come back."
Finally, it was time to retreat. Officer Martinez, a quiet man with kind eyes and a shoulder holster, was settled in the guest room with a direct line to building security. The penthouse was as secure as it could be.
I walked Anna to the door of the second guest room, the one she'd use tonight and every night until this ended. She paused at the threshold, looking up at me, the weight of the day etched into every line of her face.
Without thinking, I reached up and gently tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. My fingers lingered against the softness of her skin, her pulse fluttering beneath my touch like a trapped bird.
"Try to get some sleep. You're safe here. I promise you're safe."
She leaned into the touch, just for a heartbeat, her eyes closing. When they opened, they were swimming with unshed tears and something else, something that made me want to hold her close and never let go.
"Thank you, Jack. For all of it. For not..." She swallowed hard. "For not sending me away."
The thought of sending her away, of watching her walk out that door into danger, made my heart twist. "Never," I said, my words fierce and low. "Do you understand? Never."
I watched her slip into the room and close the door softly.
The resolve inside me hardened into something unbreakable. I would not lose anyone else. Not Daisy. Not Anna. Not to the ghost of my past, not to the monster from hers.
In my room, Daisy was a small, serene lump under my blankets, Mr. Bounces clutched in her arms. I changed into sleep clothes and slid in beside her, careful not to wake her. She stirred slightly, turning toward me, her small hand finding my arm in sleep.
The fear for her was a living thing, a serpent coiled in my gut, squeezing tighter with every breath.
My phone buzzed one last time on the nightstand.
The screen lit up the darkness like a malevolent eye.
Unknown Number
Sleep well, Jack... Too busy thinking about Anna. About what I'm going to take back.
The deranged possessiveness in his message. Take back, like she was property, like she'd ever belonged to him, he was trying to get inside my head.
Any lingering confusion about my feelings evaporated like morning mist under a brutal sun.
This wasn't just about protecting an employee or someone I felt responsible for. This was about protecting Anna. The woman who made my daughter laugh. Who brought light into my tomb of a home. Who had somehow, against all odds and reason, carved a place for herself in the wreckage of my heart.
The anger was still there, but it was no longer cold or aimless. It was focused. Protective. A blade honed to a single purpose.
I set the phone down, screen still glowing with Carter's words.
Let him try.
In the morning, I'd call my lawyers, my investigators, every resource at my disposal. I'd use every connection, every favor owed, every dollar in my considerable fortune to hunt him down.
But tonight, in the dark, with my daughter breathing softly beside me and Anna just down the hall behind a closed door I desperately wanted to open, I let myself admit the truth I'd been avoiding for weeks.
I had already fallen for Anna.
It was no longer something in progress.
And God help Carter Wilson, because he'd threatened the two people who'd taught me how to live again. The fortress was more than steel and cameras and armed guards. It was my will. My purpose.
And I would burn the world down before I let him breach it.
My phone screen dimmed, then went dark.
In the silence, I pulled Daisy closer and made a vow to the darkness: Carter Wilson had taken enough.
He would not take anything or anyone else.