Chapter 2
Liam moved so fast he was a blur.
He grabbed my arm, hauled me out of bed, and shoved me into the walk-in closet.
“Not a sound,” he mouthed, pressing a finger to his lips.
He closed the door most of the way, leaving a tiny crack so I could see and hear.
I pressed my back to the wall, my hand clamped over my mouth.
My heart hammered so hard I was sure they could hear it downstairs.
I was still in my thin nightgown, barefoot, the cold seeping up through the floor.
I heard heavy boots on the stairs.
Two cops, followed by Jason’s loud voice and Margaret’s soft, simpering one.
They stepped into the bedroom.
The cops looked at the shattered lamp, the messy bed, the blanket thrown on the floor.
“Where is she, Liam?” Jason said, grinning like he’d already won.
He had his arm around Margaret.
She had a fake scratch running down her left cheek, her eyes red from crying on cue.
“She attacked me last night, officers. She’s dangerous. Unstable.”
One of the cops stepped forward.
“Mr. Carter, where is your wife? We have a report of domestic assault.”
Liam stood in front of the closet, blocking their view.
His voice was calm, colder than I’d ever heard it.
“First, tell me why you’re in my house without a warrant.”
Jason laughed.
“Warrant? Bro, look at Mom’s face! Look at this room! She went crazy when you caught her cheating—”
Liam cut him off.
He pulled the medical report and the stack of bank statements from his pocket.
He held them out to the cops.
“Read those. Then look at the texts on my phone. My mother and brother have been poisoning my wife for four months. They tried to kill her and my unborn child to steal my father’s estate.”
The room went dead silent.
Margaret’s fake cry cut off mid-sob.
Jason’s grin dropped so fast it was almost funny.
The senior cop took the papers, his eyes widening as he read.
His partner leaned over his shoulder, his jaw tight.
“This is a lie,” Margaret shrieked.
She lunged for the papers.
Liam stepped back, out of her reach.
“She forged those! She’s been planning this for months—she wants to turn my own son against me!”
“Then you won’t mind us running these statements through forensics,” the senior cop said.
He looked at Margaret, then at Jason.
“Or checking the lab in Florida. Or pulling the security footage from this house for the last four months.”
Jason’s face went white.
He took a step back.
Margaret’s hands started shaking.
The cops exchanged a look.
They knew.
“We’re not arresting anyone tonight,” the senior cop said.
He put the papers in an evidence bag.
“But we will be in touch. Both of you—leave this house now. Don’t come back until we say so.”
Jason opened his mouth to argue.
One look at the cop’s face shut him up.
He grabbed Margaret’s arm, practically dragging her out of the room.
I heard them slam the front door a minute later.
The cops followed, promising to call Liam first thing in the morning.
The second the front door clicked shut, Liam ran to the closet.
He pulled me into his arms so tight I could barely breathe.
He was shaking.
Crying, actually crying, into my hair.
“I’m so sorry,” he kept saying, over and over.
“God, I’m so sorry, baby. I should have believed you. I should have protected you. I almost let them kill you.”
I clung to him, my face pressed to his chest.
For the first time in months, I didn’t feel alone.
But the relief didn’t last long.
I pulled back, looking up at him.
“They won’t stop, Liam,” I said.
My voice was still hoarse, but steady now.
“Jason said they were ready to lock me in a psych ward. If the cops didn’t buy the lie tonight, they’ll try something else tomorrow. Next time, they might not stop at lies.”
Liam wiped his face with the back of his hand.
The cold, determined look I knew so well was back in his eyes.
He nodded.
“You’re right,” he said.
May you like
He walked to the safe in the wall, opened it, and pulled out a thick envelope of cash, his gun, and the original will.
“Pack what you need. We’re leaving. Now. Somewhere they’ll never find us.”
