Chapter 22
Drake
The day had been emotionally draining for all of us, but especially for Scarlett. As evening approached, we found ourselves gathered in the hotel suite, the somber mood of the funeral still hanging over us like a heavy cloud. Graham and Brody were quietly discussing security measures for our return trip, while I sat with Scarlett on the small sofa, her head resting on my shoulder as we watched the sun begin to set through the large windows.
The sudden vibration of my phone startled us both. I glanced at the screen, surprised to see Sensei's name flashing.
"It's Sensei," I said, my brow furrowing in concern. It wasn't like him to call so late unless something was wrong.
Scarlett lifted her head, her eyes questioning. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm not sure," I replied, standing up. "I'll take this on the balcony."
As I stepped outside, I could feel the others' eyes on me. The cool evening air hit my face as I answered the call.
"Sensei? What's going on?"
His voice came through, tense and worried. "Drake, I'm sorry to bother you, but something happened at the gym today that I think you should know about."
My grip tightened on the phone. "What is it?"
"There was a man hanging around outside the gym," Sensei explained, his words coming faster now. "He matched the description of Scarlett's attacker. Drake, I’m sure it was the same guy Brody and I saw that day. I know it!"
My blood ran cold. "What? Are you sure?"
"As sure as I can be without having seen him up close, but it looked like the image and the guy in the car that day," Sensei replied. "But that's not all. Jenny was there for her private lesson, and the man was watching her. Her brothers noticed and... well, they didn't take kindly to it."
"What happened?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"They roughed him up a bit," Sensei admitted. "Nothing too serious, but enough to send him running. Drake, the way they described this guy... They said there was something downright evil about the way he looked at Jenny."
I leaned heavily against the balcony railing, my mind racing. "But that's impossible," I muttered, more to myself than to Sensei. "We caught the guy at the cemetery during the funeral. He's in custody right now."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Are you certain it's him?"
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. Were we certain? The police seemed confident, but we were still waiting on the DNA results. A seed of doubt began to grow in my mind.
"I... I'm not sure," I admitted, the words bitter in my mouth. "We're waiting on the DNA results to confirm."
Sensei's sigh was heavy with worry. "Drake, I don't want to alarm anyone unnecessarily, but I have a bad feeling about this. The timing, the description... it's too much of a coincidence."
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration and fear battling for dominance. "I know. Look, we'll be home tomorrow. Can you keep this under wraps until then? I don't want to worry Scarlett any more than necessary, not until we know for sure."
"Of course," Sensei agreed. "But Drake, be careful. All of you. If that isn't the guy..."
He didn't need to finish the thought. If this wasn't the guy, then the real killer was still out there. And he was getting bolder.
"We will," I promised. "Thanks for letting me know, Sensei. We'll talk more when we get back."
As I ended the call, I turned to find Graham standing in the doorway of the balcony, his expression concerned.
"Everything okay?" he asked quietly.
I hesitated, torn between the need to share this information and the desire to protect Scarlett from more stress. Finally, I shook my head. "No, I don't think it is. We need to talk, but not here."
Graham nodded, understanding immediately. "I'll tell the others we're going for a walk to find a store. Meet me in the lobby in five minutes."
As he went back inside to make our excuses, I took a moment to compose myself. The peace I'd felt earlier, the sense that we were finally making progress, had been shattered. In its place was a gnawing anxiety that threatened to overwhelm me.
Five minutes later, Graham and I were walking through the quiet hotel grounds, the cool night air doing little to calm my nerves. I relayed Sensei's call, watching as Graham's expression grew more troubled with each word.
"This complicates things," he said when I'd finished, his voice tight with tension.
"That's putting it mildly," I replied. "Graham, what if we've got the wrong guy? What if the real killer is still out there, watching us, watching Scarlett?"
Graham was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. "We can't jump to conclusions," he said finally. "But we also can't ignore this. We need to contact Christian and see if he can pull some strings with those FBI guys to expedite those DNA results."
I nodded, grateful as always for Graham's level-headedness. "And in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, we stay alert. We don't let Scarlett out of our sight, not for a second. And we prepare for the possibility that this isn't over."
The gravity of the situation settled over us like a heavy blanket. We'd been so ready to believe that the nightmare was ending, that Scarlett would finally be safe. Now, that hope felt like sand slipping through our fingers.
As we made our way back to the hotel, I couldn't shake the image of a shadowy figure lurking outside the gym, his eyes fixed on innocent little Jenny. The thought made my stomach churn.
"How do we tell them?" I asked as we approached our floor. "Brody, Scarlett... this is going to hit them hard."
Graham sighed, his hand on the door handle. "We tell them the truth. They deserve to know what we're up against. But we also reassure them that we're in this together. That no matter what happens, we've got each other's backs."
I nodded, drawing strength from his words. As we entered the suite, I saw Scarlett and Brody look up, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Is everything okay?" Scarlett asked, her voice small and worried.
Graham and I exchanged a look before he spoke. "We need to talk. All of us. There's been a development."
As we settled around the small hotel table, I couldn't help but notice how vulnerable Scarlett looked, how tired Brody seemed. The weight of what we were about to share pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. Brody had a fight in two weeks’ time and all of this was taking a toll on him as well.
Graham began to explain, his voice calm and measured despite the gravity of the situation. I watched as understanding dawned on their faces, followed quickly by fear and disbelief.
"But... but they caught him," Scarlett protested weakly. "At the cemetery. They said..."
"They think they caught him," I corrected gently. "But we don't know for sure. Not until the DNA results come back."
Brody's fist came down hard on the table, making us all jump. "Dammit! We were so close. We thought it was over."
"It's not over," Graham said firmly. "Not by a long shot even if that is the guy. But we're not giving up. We're going to figure this out."
As the conversation continued, plans being made and contingencies discussed, I found my gaze drawn to Scarlett. She sat silently, her eyes distant, arms wrapped tightly around her body as if trying to hold herself together.
Without a word, I moved to her side, pulling her into a gentle embrace. She melted against me, a small sob escaping her lips.
"I'm scared, Drake," she whispered, her voice muffled against my chest. "What if he comes for one of you next? I couldn't bear it if..."
"Shh," I soothed, stroking her hair. "We're not going anywhere, Cheri. We're stronger together, remember that. Whatever comes, we face it as one."
As I held her, I met the eyes of Graham and Brody over her head. The determination I saw there matched my own. We had come too far, fought too hard, to let something set us back or defeat us.
The killer, whoever he was, wherever he was, had no idea what he was up against. Because he wasn't just facing Scarlett anymore. He was facing all of us. And we would stop at nothing to protect what was ours.
As the night wore on and plans were made for the return flight tomorrow, that sense of anxiety never fully dissipated. It lingered in the air, in the tense set of our shoulders, in the way we all kept Scarlett within arm's reach at all times. Each of us returned to our rooms to collect our things, never leaving her alone. We’d stay together tonight.