Chapter 3
chapter
three
Caleb listened as the sound of barking carried in from outside—sustained and impossible to ignore.
Just as he stepped toward the door, Max appeared from the room above the garage. He grabbed a jacket from a hook, and his eyes met Caleb’s.
He offered a brief nod before stepping out, silently assuring him he’d check things out.
Then Max was gone again, pulling the door shut behind him.
Caleb needed to help—but first he needed to find someone to stay here with Millie. Peace of mind was important, and being here alone to wonder what was going on wouldn’t be good for her.
“Naomi?” Caleb raised his voice just enough for his sister to hear.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway as Naomi rushed from the office.
She paused, and their gazes connected, unspoken conversations taking place between them.
“I’ll stay here while you check it out,” she murmured.
“Thanks. We’ll be right back.”
He stepped outside.
The temperature had dropped even more while he’d been in the house. The cold hit him, the air sharp enough to burn his lungs. The security lights outside the kennel were on now, casting long shadows across the packed dirt and fencing.
The dogs barked in sharp, overlapping bursts.
It was probably nothing, Caleb told himself again.
But nothing was ever guaranteed.
He moved toward the kennel.
They had the ability to house twenty dogs, each with their own run. The kennel itself even had a different driveway and entrance from the house so they could keep things secure.
Right now, thirteen dogs were boarded in the kennel.
It wasn’t unusual for them to bark. In fact, one dog could usually set off all of them.
Caleb had been on edge lately. Too much was going on. This place had too many enemies. There were too many reasons for the shelter to fail.
But he wouldn’t let his sister down. He was doing this for her.
Whatever had riled the dogs, he intended to find it.
The barking didn’t stop, Millie mused as she sat at the table with Naomi.
Millie should have known better than to think she was safe.
Hope was never that simple.
Her chest tightened as her thoughts continued to spin.
What if Garrick really had found her? What if his presence had set the dogs off?
She’d been careful when she left. And Max had checked her car for trackers and hadn’t found any. She had a burner phone that Garrick didn’t know about—she’d only used it to text people here at Refuge Cove.
Was it even possible for Garrick to follow her? She wanted to say no, it wasn’t possible.
But he always seemed to excel at getting what he wanted. That had made him one of the best defense attorneys in DC.
The thought settled in fast and heavy, a weight she couldn’t shake.
A hand closed gently around her arm.
Millie flinched, breath catching. Then she forced herself to look up.
Naomi had risen from her chair and stood close—close enough that Millie could feel the warmth from her arm.
The two of them had met once before, years ago, when Naomi had come into town to visit her brother. The three of them had shared dinner at Caleb’s apartment, a night that had felt easy in a way Millie hadn’t questioned at the time.
Naomi looked much the same now. Her dark hair was pulled back with practical care, and she had kind eyes that missed very little. She had the same steady presence Millie remembered, the same quiet attentiveness that had made them click almost immediately.
She was the only member of Caleb’s family Millie had ever met—though she’d known he had five siblings. He was the second to the oldest.
She’d assumed, back then, she’d meet them all eventually.
That had never happened because Caleb had broken up with her, blindsiding her at the time.
Naomi met her gaze, and something like understanding passed between them.
“It’s okay,” Naomi murmured. “Whatever upset the dogs, Caleb and Max will handle it. It’s probably just a racoon or squirrel.”
Millie nodded, though the words barely registered. Her gaze flicked toward the door again, and she pictured herself fleeing.
But was anywhere truly safe? Maybe staying on the move was her best option. After all, it was harder to hit a moving target. Her dad, a hunter, had taught her that.
Her thoughts spiraled, panic rising fast and sharp, until she stood and blurted, “I can’t stay here.”
She moved toward the door, hands shaking, heart pounding as if she were already running. Biscuit was instantly at her heels, tail low, body pressed close like he’d been waiting for the signal.
“Please, Millie,” Naomi called. “Don’t leave. Don’t give in to the panic and let fear win.”
Millie paused, her breaths coming fast. “I can’t do this. I can’t be trapped again.”
“We’ll keep you safe.”
Millie let out a short, brittle laugh. “How can you promise that?”
Naomi held her gaze, unwavering. “I can’t promise nothing will ever go wrong. What I can promise is that you won’t face this alone and that we won’t stop trying to protect you—no matter what.”
The words hit Millie differently than she’d expected.
Naomi hadn’t promised certainty, only commitment. The truthfulness made her feel better. At least Naomi wasn’t glossing everything over and making promises impossible to keep.
The barking outside continued. Millie stood frozen between the door and the table, heart still racing.
She leaned down and rubbed Biscuit’s head.
She didn’t know if staying was the right choice or not.
She only knew that if she left now, she might never stop running.
And she was so tired of waiting for the moment when Garrick would kill her and make it look like an accident. He was the type who’d get away with it.
And he knew it.