Page 42

Wear this the next time you come to work at The Blackwood. Looking forward to seeing you in it. — N.

A wave of intense fury washes over me, immediately followed by sickening terror. Nolan was inside my apartment. He bypassed the locks, walked into my bedroom, and left a message right on my bed. The one place in the world where I felt completely safe and hidden has been violated.

I drop the note, spinning around and racing back out into the living room. My hands tremble so badly I can barely unzip my bag to fish out my phone.

I find Cain’s contact and hit call, pressing the receiver tightly against my ear.

It rings twice before his heavy, deep voice cuts through the line. "Hey, doll."

"Cain," I choke out, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "Nolan was in my room."

The line goes dead silent for a terrifying second. "What?" Cain’s voice drops into an icy, lethal register. "Are you still in the house?"

"Yes," I whisper, looking over my shoulder at the hallway as if someone is going to jump out of the shadows. "He left a box on my bed—a dress, jewelry, a note..."

"Fuck," Cain growls, the roar of his car engine instantly booming in the background. "I'm on my way."

"Okay," I whisper, closing my eyes tightly as I grip the phone like a lifeline.

It occurs to me a little late that in the face of absolute panic, my very first instinct wasn't to call the police—it was to call Cain. And without a single second of hesitation, preamble, or question, he said he was on his way.

I don't fully know what to make of the hold he has on me, but a strange sense of calm settles over my nerves. Cain will handle this. I'm sure of it.

I sink down onto the living room floor, pulling my knees to my chest as I wonder how on earth I'm going to escape Nolan. He's becoming more daring, stepping into my sacred space just to prove that he can.

Barely ten minutes pass before the front door bursts open. Cain charges inside, Elijah stepping in right behind him, his hand resting low on his jacket.

I push myself up to my feet. Cain spans the distance between us in two long strides, his hands coming up to take my face, his dark eyes fiercely sweeping over me. "Are you alright?”

"I'm fine," I say softly, the steady warmth of his hands grounding me instantly.

Cain nods to Elijah, and the two of them systematically sweep through every inch of my house. They check the vents, the light fixtures, the smoke detectors, and the electronic sockets for hidden cameras or listening devices. After ten intense minutes, Elijah shakes his head, signaling that the space is clean.

Cain turns back to me, his jaw set in a hard, unyielding line. "We're moving Milly out of here immediately. Nolan may decide to just drop in next time."

Panic flares in my chest, mixed with sheer helplessness. "Cain, we can't just up and leave! We have nowhere else to go."

"I have dozens of secure places she can go," he counters instantly, stepping closer. "I'll have a private medical team assigned to her—doctors, round-the-clock nurses, and dedicated security guards who will watch her every second of the day."

"No, that is too much!" I argue, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "You can't just take over our lives like this⁠—"

"I am not letting your grandmother become collateral damage in a war with Nolan Devlin," he rumbles, his voice carrying an immovable authority that cuts right through my protest. I’m sure you don’t want that either.”

I stare at him, my defenses slowly crumbling under the weight of his fiercely protective gaze. Deep down, I know he's right about Milly's safety.

"Fine," I surrender with a heavy sigh. "We can move to a secure apartment—temporarily. Only until this mess is sorted out."

"Good," Cain says, reaching out to take my bag off the counter. "Now pack your things. You're coming too."

I plant my feet firmly on the floor, crossing my arms over my chest. "No."

Cain pauses, narrowing his eyes at me. "Alexis, don't be stubborn."

"I am not abandoning my home permanently because of Nolan Devlin!" I snap back, my chin coming up defiantly. "I will let you protect my grandmother because she's innocent, but this is my life, Cain. I am not running away and hiding out in one of your safehouses like a prisoner!"

"It's not hiding, it's common sense⁠—"

"I said no!" I insist, holding his dark, burning gaze without flinching. "Milly goes where it's safe. But I am staying right here. This sicko Nolan won’t win."