Chapter 23
Roman
“Are you sure?”
My brother’s voice was tight and strained.
I’d called August as soon as I could. Part of me couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of the Shadow Stalker before this.
Maybe I’d been in denial that the killer would come back to town after everything.
After everyone but me left. He was a fugitive on the run, for God’s sake. He should be far away from this town.
“No,” I barked. I’d been pacing my bedroom for the last ten minutes, unable to sit still. “I’m not sure of anything right now.”
Hearthstone being a target changed things.
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
August sighed. “He’s never attacked our home directly like this before.”
My jaw flexed. I’d gone to get Hailey from school immediately after my conversation with Palmer. The thought of her sitting in a classroom while Amos Anderson was potentially in town made my skin crawl. She was down the hall in Palmer’s room, probably talking her ear off while Palmer tried to rest.
“Well,” I said, “there’s always a first for everything. Maybe he’s frustrated that he can’t find you.”
“If it’s one-tenth the frustration we feel not being able to find him,” August muttered, “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
Even with all of August’s training and connections within the private security community, not to mention his twin’s hacking abilities, we hadn’t been able to track down Anderson.
The Shadow Stalker had one thing we didn’t—an almost unlimited amount of money, which provided resources that came with it.
He’d vanished like smoke. Every lead we’d chased had collapsed into nothing.
August thought we’d come close a few times, but each time had been a dead end.
Even after examining the camera feeds from the early morning fire at Hearthstone, we hadn’t gotten a clear shot of him. The man who’d broken into Hearthstone had been covered from head to foot in black. He’d worn a ski mask and tactical goggles to hide his identity.
Fox had been trying to use other camera feeds from the surrounding area to try to pinpoint where he’d come from, but hadn’t had any luck. It was beyond frustrating.
“Maybe he’s done playing with you,” I said flatly.
I could practically hear August dragging his hands through his dark-blond hair. He always did that when he was overwhelmed.
“How bad is it?” he eventually asked, his tone more defeated than I’d ever heard it. “Hearthstone, that is.”
I stopped pacing.
They knew what had happened probably when I did. The security system would’ve alerted August, but considering the cameras were no longer working because of the fire, they couldn’t know what shape the building was in.
I’d been too busy managing paramedics, doctors, Palmer’s bandages, and Hailey’s questions to talk to him before now.
“It’s bad,” I admitted. “But I think we might be able to save the structure.”
August let out a long, ragged breath. Then his voice dropped into something darker. “I’m going to fucking kill that man with my bare hands.”
The rage in his tone was palpable. I understood it—felt it, too. But rage wasn’t going to help us right now.
“We don’t know that he definitely caused the fire,” I said, though I was becoming more sure every minute.
“No,” August snapped, “but even if he didn’t, he deserves death.”
I didn’t argue.
Silence settled between us, and I forced myself to say the thing that had been pressing at the back of my mind since dawn.
“I don’t want Hailey here anymore.”
I was willing to keep her in her normal life, her normal routine, when I believed that she was safe here. That had changed.
“I understand,” August replied immediately. “It’s time we end this anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
I had never wanted to send Hailey to the safe house. But if this was Amos—if he was escalating, if he was targeting us—then I wasn’t going to risk her.
I tried not to think about what that meant for Palmer. I didn’t want to risk her either, but I had no control over what she chose to do.
“What I mean,” August continued, his voice hard, “is if Amos is looking for us—if he’s trying to draw us out—we’ll give him exactly what he wants.”
My heart stuttered. “What?”
“We can’t hide forever,” he continued. “And neither can he. I think it’s time to come back to Ember Hollow.”
I froze. “But I need Hailey to be—”
“Bring her to the safe house.” August cut me off. “I’m not bringing the family back until Anderson is eliminated. I’ll make sure everyone here is secure. But I’m going back home.”
I had longed to have my brothers back in Ember Hollow for weeks, but this wasn’t how I imagined it happening.
I understood what August hadn’t said out loud. He was done being hunted.
We would do the hunting now.
“When?” I asked, teeth clenched in anticipation.
“As soon as possible. I have a few things to put into place before I return, but I’m sure you don’t want Hailey there any longer than necessary. I can meet you halfway tonight to get her.”
My throat felt tight. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my daughter, but I couldn’t go with her right now. I couldn’t leave Ember Hollow, and I sure as hell wouldn’t leave my brothers to fight this monster by themselves.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll meet you tonight.”
Ifound them in Palmer’s room.
She and Hailey were tangled up together in the middle of the bed, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets.
Hailey had Palmer’s phone propped up between them, some video playing softly.
They were shoulder to shoulder, heads nearly touching.
Phantom was curled up in a little ball on top of Hailey, snoozing away.
My insides twisted with dread, knowing everything was about to change.
They both looked up when I stepped into the doorway.
Hailey’s little brow crinkled as she studied me. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”
I took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I’ll tell you soon, okay? But I want to talk to Palmer first.”
Hailey frowned immediately, shooting me a glare of disapproval. “But—”
“Later, Hails.” I gave her a look in return. “Let me speak to Palmer, then we’ll talk. I promise.”
She crossed her arms but eventually pushed herself up from the bed. Phantom begrudgingly yawned and hopped off the bed with her. Palmer handed her the phone.
“You can take it with you,” Palmer said, her voice gentle.
Hailey shuffled past me, clearly unhappy, but she left the room without another word, the kitten trailing after her.
The door clicked shut behind her and the silence settled.
For a moment, I just stood there staring at Palmer, knowing the precious time I had left with her was limited.
How the hell had this happened?
How had she become something I wasn’t prepared to lose?
“Palmer,” I said quietly.
She sat up, careful of her bandaged hands. Her hazel eyes roamed over my face, narrowing. “What’s going on?”
I looked away. An ache bloomed inside me, throbbing like a bruise. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my daughter, and I didn’t want to say goodbye to her, either.
“I’m getting Hailey out of Ember Hollow tonight.” I forced the words out.
Palmer blinked at me. “What…what do you mean?”
“I’m taking Hailey to the safe house.” My jaw clenched. “It’s not safe here after the fire. Especially if Amos Anderson is behind it.”
Her fingers brushed the buttons of her cardigan, but the bandages made it impossible to grip them. She did that when she was anxious, I’d noticed…tugged at her buttons. Her hands fell limply back to her lap.
“Okay.” She sounded dazed. “What about me?”
She was trying to put on a brave face, but there was a hint of panic underneath it.
“I think you should go too.”
Palmer tensed. “Go?”
“To the safe house,” I said.
She blinked at me. “But…isn’t your whole family there? You don’t need me to watch over Hailey—”
I shook my head, cutting her off with a sharp look. “I want you to go so that you’ll be safe, Palmer.”
I stepped closer, but then stopped. It was wiser to keep my distance, where I couldn’t reach for her. Because every bone in my body begged me to hold her one more time before she was gone.
That blush crawled up her neck, so lovely and predictable that I wanted to brush my fingertips over it. My hands clenched at my sides.
There was a long pause as my words sunk in.
“And…what are you going to do?” she asked softly.
“I’m staying in Ember Hollow.”
Her spine straightened. “You’re staying?”
“I have a duty to this town.”
She glanced down at her hands. “Shouldn’t you be safe, too?”
Was she worried about me? The thought had my heart fluttering.
“I can take care of myself,” I said, trying to reassure her.
“Can you?” Her mouth thinned, her expression hard. “Because you seem to have a habit of taking the responsibility of the world on your shoulders and not letting anyone else watch out for you.”
I wasn’t sure how to process that. She shifted, uncrossing her legs and setting them on the floor. She stood up, and every nerve in my body pulled taut as she stepped closer. The smell of her shampoo wafted over me, reminding me of the feel of her wet hair in my hands, and the sounds she’d made…
I looked away, needing to clear my head.
“My brothers are coming back,” I said in a rush. “I won’t be alone.”
“They are?”
I nodded, aware of how close she was. “August thinks we should draw the Shadow Stalker out. Bait him. If he’s in town, maybe he won’t be able to resist showing himself if he sees my brothers return.”
She was quiet as that information sunk in.
“But…isn’t that dangerous? What if you—what if someone gets hurt?”
I didn’t have words of comfort for her. I had every confidence in August and the rest of my brothers, but Amos Anderson was a monster.
“I won’t let anyone get hurt,” I vowed.
She stepped closer without seeming to think about it, so close she had to tilt her head up to look me in the eye. “Again,” she said so softly it was almost a whisper, “if you’re always protecting everyone, who is watching out for you?”
“I trust my brothers.”