Chapter 2
I didn’t hesitate.
I grabbed the girl’s hand and yelled over my shoulder.
“Forgot my briefcase inside! Be right back!”
I didn’t wait for a response.
I turned and ran.
My dress shoes slipped on the frost-dusted gravel, but I kept my balance.
The girl’s small hand was ice cold in mine.
I hauled her toward the side gate in the iron fence.
Behind me, I heard the driver shout.
“Sir! Wait!”
Footsteps pounded after us.
I wrenched the gate open.
It squealed on its hinges.
We bolted through.
I slammed it shut behind us and fumbled for the latch.
It clicked into place just as a body slammed into the other side.
The metal rattled.
“Open up!” a man roared.
I didn’t stop.
I dragged the girl across the neighbor’s lawn.
Mrs. Hale’s house was fifty feet away.
She was a retired homicide detective.
She’d brought me cookies every Christmas since I moved in.
I prayed she was home.
We reached her porch.
I banged on the door so hard my knuckles stung.
“Mrs. Hale! Open up! It’s Ethan Carter!”
The door flew open in seconds.
Mrs. Hale stood there, gray hair in a bun, a baseball bat in one hand.
She took one look at my white face, the trembling girl behind me, and stepped aside.
“Inside. Now.”
We stumbled in.
She locked the door and slid the deadbolt home.
Then she dragged a heavy oak bookshelf in front of it.
“Who’s after you?” she asked, no nonsense in her voice.
I told her everything.
The girl.
The fake driver.
Olivia’s text.
The second car.
Mrs. Hale’s jaw tightened.
She knew Olivia.
She’d always said there was something “off” about her.
I’d laughed it off back then.
I wasn’t laughing now.
The girl was huddled on the couch, arms wrapped around her knees.
I sat down next to her.
“What’s your name, kiddo?” I asked softly.
“Lila,” she whispered. “Lila Marlow.”
“Thank you, Lila,” I said. “You saved my life.”
She looked up at me, eyes glistening.
“I was scared you wouldn’t believe me.”
My phone rang.
Olivia’s name flashed on the screen.
My blood ran cold.
Mrs. Hale nodded at me.
“Answer. Act normal. Don’t let her know you’re onto her.”
I took a deep breath and pressed accept.
“Hi, baby,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.
“Where are you?” Olivia purred. “You were supposed to be at the restaurant ten minutes ago.”
“Got held up at the office,” I lied. “A last-minute emergency. I’ll be there soon.”
She was quiet for a beat.
“Okay,” she said, sweet as sugar. “Hurry home. I missed you today.”
She hung up.
I dropped the phone on the couch.
My hands were shaking.
Mrs. Hale was already on her landline.
She was calling Marcus Reed, my head of security.
“Get over here now,” she said. “Bring your whole team. And bring the police.”
Lila leaned her head on my shoulder.
She was shivering.
I wrapped my coat around her.
For the first time in twelve years, I didn’t know what was waiting for me at home.
But I knew one thing for sure.
Olivia had made a mistake.
She’d thought I was alone.
May you like
She’d thought no one would see.
She was wrong.
