Chapter 38
Mia
Connor was at my side in an instant, pulling Vance’s lifeless body off me and helping me to my feet. I staggered, gasping for air as blood rushed back to my oxygen-starved brain.
“Lily,”
I managed, pointing toward my sister who remained bound to the chair, eyes wide with terror and confusion.
Connor nodded, squeezing my shoulder before moving quickly to Lily’s side. He spoke in gentle, reassuring tones as he carefully removed the duct tape from her mouth and began working on her restraints.
“It’s okay,”
he said softly. “You’re safe now. We’re here to help you.”
I approached slowly, still clutching the remote control, afraid to set it down or release the deadman’s switch that might be built into it. Lily’s eyes fixed on me, a mixture of fear and recognition swirling in their depths.
“Mia?”
she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Is it really you?”
The sound of my name on her lips—a name she shouldn’t have known—stopped me in my tracks. “You... recognize me?”
Her hands trembled as Connor freed them from their bindings. “I have your picture,”
she said. “From before... before Mom died. I always knew I had a sister.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been looking for you.”
The confession hit me like a physical blow. All these years I’d stayed away to protect her, and she’d been searching for me.
“I’m so sorry,”
I whispered, wanting desperately to embrace her but still holding the dangerous remote. “For everything. For bringing this into your life.”
“Is he dead?”
she asked, glancing at Vance’s motionless form.
I nodded grimly. “Yes. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Boots pounded on the stairs as Winters and her team descended into the cellar, weapons at the ready. They quickly secured the scene, checking Vance for any signs of life and finding none.
“We need EOD for this,”
I said, carefully handing the remote to one of Winters’ explosive specialists. “It’s connected to charges throughout the property. Possibly on a deadman’s switch.”
The specialist nodded, taking the device with practiced care. “I’ll handle it. You should get her out of here.”
Connor helped Lily to her feet, supporting her as her legs threatened to give way beneath her. “Can you walk?”
he asked gently.
She nodded, though her body swayed with the aftereffects of whatever drug Vance had used on her. “I think so.”
“Let’s get you somewhere safe,”
I said, moving to her other side. Together, Connor and I guided her up the stairs and out of that nightmare cellar.
Outside, the rain had stopped, giving way to the first hint of dawn on the horizon. The beach stretched before us, peaceful and untouched by the violence that had occurred within the house. Ryker and Royal materialized from the shadows near the tree line, their expressions a mixture of relief and wariness as they approached.
“Area’s secure,”
Ryker reported, his eyes quickly assessing Lily’s condition. “Perimeter’s clear, no sign of additional hostiles.”
“Thank you,”
I said, grateful for their vigilance. “Can you help get her to the vehicle? She’s still unsteady from whatever Vance drugged her with.”
Ryker stepped forward, his usual professional demeanor softening as he carefully took my place supporting Lily. “I’ve got her,”
he assured me.
As Connor released his hold, allowing Ryker to fully support Lily’s weight, something shifted in Ryker’s expression—a flash of unexpected familiarity that caught me off guard.
I exchanged a surprised glance with Connor. There was an ease between Ryker and Lily that suggested more than just a security operative’s professional concern.
“You two seem to know each other… well,”
I remarked with a raised brow.
Lily laughed, “We have an... unconventional history,”
she admitted, her eyes flickering to Ryker with something that looked suspiciously like fondness.
“I found him bleeding on my fire escape about a week ago,”
she continued, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Three in the morning, rain pouring down, and there he was—cursing under his breath and bleeding all over my petunias.”
Ryker cleared his throat, the faintest hint of color appearing high on his cheekbones. “I lost my footing,”
he said gruffly. “I was conducting surveillance and—”
“He was watching me through my window,”
Lily interjected with a knowing smile. “Apparently, my apartment had a 'tactical advantage point' for whatever operation he was running at the time.”
“It did,”
Ryker insisted, though his usual authoritative tone had softened. “Your window looks right into your apartment. What better way to watch?”
“Discretion? What part of that is discreet?”
I asked, a smile playing on my lips.
Ryker chuckled, “That flew out the window the second he laid eyes on her.”
Lily averted her eyes. “Yes, well It must have been boring.”
A hint of color touched Ryker’s cheeks. “Not at all”
he replied, his tone deliberately casual. “Especially when they spend their Saturdays reading poetry to shelter dogs.”
“You saw that?”
Lily asked, her embarrassment momentarily overriding her trauma.
“It was... unexpected,”
Ryker admitted, adjusting his hold on her as they began walking toward the vehicles. “Made the surveillance shifts go by faster, though.”
Royal rolled his eyes behind them. “He volunteered for double shifts,”
he muttered to Connor and me. “Said it was ‘for operational continuity.’ Right.”
As we followed them to the cars, Connor slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “You okay?”
he asked quietly, his eyes searching mine.
“I don’t know,”
I admitted, watching as Ryker helped Lily into the backseat of the SUV, his movements gentle and attentive. Something about their interaction stirred a forgotten feeling in my chest—hope, maybe. The possibility that even after all this darkness, light could still find its way through.
I leaned into Connor’s embrace, suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion and emotion. “What I do know,”
I said softly, my eyes still on Lily, “is that I’m ready to go back to Ontario.”
Connor looked down at me, surprise evident in his expression. “You’re sure? After everything that’s happened?”
I nodded. “Yes. Because you have a swearing in ceremony to attend, and I can’t wait to see you in that kilt again.”
Connor laughed, pulling me closer. “I think that can be arranged.”
“But first,”
I added, turning to face him fully, “I want to spend some time with my sister. Really get to know her. If she’s willing.”
Connor’s eyes softened. “After what she just went through, I think she might need that too.”
We watched as Winters approached the SUV, speaking briefly with Lily. The agent was gentle but professional, explaining what would happen next—medical evaluation, formal statement, protective custody until they confirmed no other threats remained.
“Mia,”
Winters called, gesturing me over. “Your sister is asking for you.”
I moved toward the vehicle, my heart pounding with a strange mixture of fear and anticipation. Lily looked up as I approached, her face pale, but composed, despite everything she’d endured.
“Can you ride with me?”
she asked softly. “To the hospital, I mean. I have... questions.”
I nodded, sliding into the seat beside her. “Of course. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
As the vehicle pulled away from the beach house—away from the last remnant of Matheson’s control over my life—I felt something shift inside me. The weight I’d carried for so long hadn’t disappeared entirely, but it had transformed into something I could bear, something I could eventually set down.
Lily’s hand found mine in the darkness of the backseat, her fingers tentatively intertwining with mine. “I always knew you were out there… somewhere,”
she whispered. “I just never stopped hoping I’d find you.”
I squeezed her hand gently, tears blurring my vision as I watched the beach house recede in the rear window. “I’m so sorry it took so long,”
I replied. “And that it happened like this.”
“We’re here now,”
she said simply. “That’s what matters.”
As we drove toward the city lights, the sun was breaking over the distant mountains, I allowed myself to believe her. The past couldn’t be undone, but the future—our future—was only just beginning.