Chapter 12
ANGEL
“Clear!”
At the sound of Ronan’s voice, a tremendous breath rushes out of me.
“Clear!” a familiar voice replies. At first, I can’t place it. But then I remember.
Max. I heard Ronan talking to him in the car. I just never imagined that Max would come inside with him.
“Any sign of the intruder?” Ronan calls out. It sounds like he’s upstairs, though it’s hard to tell, tucked away in the cubby like this.
“Nothing.” Max sounds annoyed. “The fucker must have taken off when they saw the car.”
Ronan curses. “Fucker is right.”
Footsteps come closer.
The floorboard in the upstairs hallway creaks.
A desperate hope sparks.
Is it really over?
I’m torn between racing out of the cubby and staying put.
If Ronan’s upstairs, and what he and Max say is true, then the threat is gone. I’m safe. Unless… What if someone is still up here, hiding? What if they’re lurking in a corner, behind the shower curtain, under a bed, and they have a gun—
What if they hurt Ronan?
I know he’s trained. But that doesn’t mean he’s invincible.
Fear surges; not for me, but for him. My already-racing heart speeds until I’m lightheaded from it.
“Angel!” Ronan’s voice draws closer. It’s rough. Urgent. “Angel! Are you okay?”
On my first try, all that comes out is a dry click.
“Angel!” The footsteps come faster. Louder. The loose floorboard at the entrance to Haley’s room groans. Seconds later, the closet door opens.
I swallow to wet my throat. “Ronan.” I’m shocked at how shaky my voice is. “Is it safe?”
“It’s safe,” he replies. Clothes hangers rattle on the rack as he makes his way into the closet. “We cleared the whole house.”
Despite Ronan’s reassurance, it’s hard to get rid of the mental image of a dark-clothed man sneaking up on Ronan and shooting him. “Are you sure?”
His voice softens. “I’m sure.”
As I hear Ronan pushing his way past Haley’s clothes, it occurs to me that I should have come out of the closet instead of just sitting here, waiting. But when I try to move, my locked-up muscles refuse. Even though my brain is coming to accept that I’m safe, my body hasn’t caught up yet.
The little door to the cubby wiggles. Then, with a sudden jerk, it pops open.
My nerves are strung so tight, I yelp at the movement. Instinctively, I recoil, smacking the back of my head on the wall.
“Angel.” Ronan’s face appears in the open doorway. His features are a contrast of light and dark from the flashlight he’s holding. “Shit. Are you hurt?”
He angles the flashlight so the beam starts at my feet, then slides upward. It’s startlingly bright after the near-complete dark of the cubby, so I squint and avert my eyes.
“Sorry,” he says quickly. “I just need—are you hurt anywhere? I heard you cry out. Did they hurt you?”
Now that I can actually see him, my muscles unlock. Relieved tears spring to my eyes. “Ronan. I’m—” My voice cracks. “I’m—”
Ronan sets the flashlight on the floor and starts crawling into the cubby. “It’s okay,” he croons. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
From outside the closet, Max asks, “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know,” Ronan replies. “It’s too damn dark to tell for sure. I need to get her out of the closet. It’s just so damn tight in here—”
As I watch Ronan try to climb into a space barely big enough for me, I force my protesting body into action. “I can get out,” I say. “It’s… it’s alright. I can do it.”
He freezes halfway through the doorway. “I can help you.”
“No, I can do it,” I repeat. Then I start climbing towards him. “I just… my body didn’t want to work.”
He backs up to give me space. But he keeps one hand outstretched to me. “That’s okay. That’s normal when you’re scared.”
While I wiggle through the small doorway, he never stops touching me. First it’s just my arm. Then my shoulder. And once I’m back into the regular part of the closet, he loops his arm around me and basically carries me the rest of the way out.
As he leads me into the bedroom, I blink at the sudden brightness. Unlike before, when I crept through the darkness to get into the closet, the lights are all on. And in the doorway leading to the hallway is Max; tall and imposing as he stands guard.
Max’s gaze jumps to me. “You okay, Angel?”
Ronan takes my shoulders in his hands. Then he steps back to inspect me. “She might be hurt,” he tells Max. “In the closet, she cried out.”
“I’m not,” I say. “Hurt, I mean.”
Ronan frowns. “I heard you.”
“I just bumped my head. When you opened the door. It startled me.”
His expression shifts from worried to guilty. “Shit, Angel. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” As the rush of adrenaline subsides, I feel weak all over. My legs wobble.
“Ah, Angel.” Ronan hugs me to his chest, curving his body around mine. His lips come to the top of my head. “I’m so sorry. Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“The house is still clear,” Max reports. “From the sound of the sirens, I’d put them a few blocks out. And Enzo—”
“Ronan! Max!” Enzo’s deep voice carries into the bedroom. It sounds like it’s coming from downstairs. “Sitrep.”
Ronan doesn’t let me go. He just lifts his head and calls back, “Clear. No sign of the intruder. We’re upstairs. First door on the right. Angel says she’s unhurt.”
“Roger that,” Enzo replies. He sounds like he’s coming closer. “I’m coming up.”
A little shiver jerks my body, and Ronan hugs me even closer. He rubs his hand up and down my back. “It’s okay,” he murmurs. “It’s okay. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
I want to tell him I believe him.
I want to reassure Ronan that I’m really okay.
I want to tell him that even though I’m mad at him, I’m really, really glad he’s here.
But when I try to speak, it gets stuck on the giant lump in my throat. So instead, I just nod against Ronan’s shoulder and try my best not to cry.
“Knox is still downstairs,” Enzo announces as he comes into the room. “He’s watching for the police. And”—his tone shifts from commanding to threatening—“if the intruder gets any ideas about coming back…”
At the very mention of the intruder, I shudder instinctively. “It’s okay,” Ronan soothes. He kisses my head again. Then his voice hardens as he adds darkly, “They’ll be in for a surprise if they do.”
“My guess is they took off when they saw our headlights,” Max says.
“There wasn’t time for stealth,” Ronan retorts. “Not when Angel was inside, hiding—”
“I know that,” Max replies calmly. “Of course we needed to get inside as quickly as possible. I’m just saying what might have happened.”
“It’s possible,” Enzo says. “But whatever it was, we’ll figure it out.” His tone softens. “Angel. I heard some of it from Max. But can you fill us in? Are you feeling up to it?”
Ronan’s arms tighten around me. “She’s in shock. Give her a second.”
But as reality settles in, I’m realizing I can’t just stay in Ronan’s arms indefinitely. Not when someone just broke into my house, stole who-knows-what, possibly vandalized things… And why were they here? Was it a random burglary, or was I targeted?
Or.
My lungs seize.
What if they were looking for Haley?
What if it was Justin, trying to take custody matters into his own hands?
What if he’s looking for Haley now? What if he found something in the house that would hint to where she is? A class photo? The list of Haley’s friends’ parents numbers that I keep on the fridge?
Oh, God.
The panic is paralyzing.
“Angel.” Ronan jostles me lightly. “Hey. It’s alright. Just breathe.”
“Haley,” I choke out. “What if it was Justin? What if he came for Haley? What if… He could be out there, looking for her…”
“We need eyes on Garrett Ryan’s house,” Ronan says immediately. “Haley’s sleeping over there tonight.”
I pull away from Ronan and start heading to the door. “I need to get her. Now. I need—”
Ronan catches my hand, stopping me. “Not you. We’ll handle it.”
“But—”
“I’ll have Alec and Gage go,” Enzo interrupts. “They’re on the way over right now.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and sends a quick text. A few seconds later, he nods. “Alec’s close. He says he’ll be at the Ryans’ in a couple of minutes.”
“But what if Justin’s already there?” I ask. I tug at Ronan’s hand, but he won’t let me go. “I need to call Garrett. Warn him.”
Enzo opens his mouth to answer, but he’s interrupted by the whine of sirens. Flashing lights glow through the curtains.
Tires screech. Car doors open and shut.
From downstairs, Knox says loudly, “We have five inside. Me, Enzo, Ronan, Max, and Angel. No sign of the intruder.”
In response, a woman says dryly, “Why am I not surprised you guys are already here?”
“I’ll call Garrett,” Enzo says to me. “I’ll let him know.”
“But,” I start. “You don’t have his number. And Haley. I need to get to her. I need her—”
“Hey.” Ronan thumbs away tears I didn’t realize I was crying. His voice is achingly gentle. “We’ve got this. Haley’s okay.”
“How do you know?”
He leads me over to the bed and helps me sit down. “Because.” His gaze holds mine; solemn and earnest. “First off, Garrett Ryan’s house is secure. I know it is because Alec installed a security system for him.”
“But—”
“Enzo’s got everyone’s numbers,” he continues. “He’ll tell Garrett exactly what’s going on. And we’ll have Alec and Gage right there to guard the house.”
“I want Haley,” I say with a little sob. “I need her.”
“I know.” Ronan brushes away another tear. “I know you do. But we can’t bring her here right now. Not with the police here. Not without knowing…” He frowns. “It would scare her.”
I know he’s right.
But she’s my baby. My world. And if something happened to her…
“She’s fine,” Enzo announces. I didn’t even realize he’d been on the phone. “Ryan said she’s watching a movie with Tess. The house is secure, and he’s keeping a close eye on them. Plus, Alec and Gage should be there any minute.”
“But…” I turn to Ronan. “What if—”
“Well.” Sage Nelson appears in the hallway, just behind Max’s bulky figure. “Looks like everyone’s here.”
Max spins around to face her. His shoulders draw up. “Sage.”