was like a knife to the gut.
Over and over.
One after another.
And dead center of it all was a huge single image of my smiling face. Written across the image in red were the words:
YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!
I shook where I stood, looking at each picture of the people I loved most in the universe. Their pictures had been taken when they weren’t aware. My family had been followed by a madman.
A wooziness hit my gut and acid churned, threatening to come up as I wobbled on unsteady legs.
“Breathe, baby, just breathe.” Killian surrounded me from behind. My teeth started to chatter, and tears fell down my cheeks as I stared at the door. Everything I loved and held dear was at risk, because of me.
The elevator dinged and out came two beloved faces.
Jonah and Ryan.
The calvary.
Jonah came to me first as Ryan did a double take of me, then the door, back to me, and the door again.
“Addy.” Jonah reached out as though to embrace me, but I flinched and backed closer against Killian’s chest. Brutus growled where he sat in front of me, warning Jonah not to touch. He obviously took his social cues from his family and regardless of whether or not Jonah had been introduced as a friendly person, Brutus would engage if I proved uncomfortable with him.
Honestly, I don’t know why I backed away from Jonah, but I knew with my entire being that if he held me, coddled me with those sweet brown eyes and loving face that meant the world to my sister, I’d break. Crumble into a heaping pile of ash and blow away. I was barely hanging onto my emotions as it was.
“Nein.” Killian commanded the dog, but he didn’t back away, he just stopped growling at Jonah.
“He’s escalating,” Ryan stated aloud, his mouth tightening into a white, flat line as he pulled out his phone.
Jonah turned around and took in the wall of horror. His gaze flicked from one family member to the next, stopping on the image of him and Simone in front of his parents’ house. I knew that was their house because I’d been invited to a family weekly dinner in the not-so-distant past. Jonah’s parents were tons of fun and his mother a damn fine cook. Jonah’s hands fisted as he assessed the note in the center.
“Open the door, but we’ll go in and check it out first,” Jonah commanded.
Killian pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them over with the right key sticking out from the rest.
Jonah opened the door and he and Ryan disappeared through it.
Killian spun me around and tugged me into his arms. I held on so tight, my breath left my body in my attempt to merge even closer into him and away from all the craziness that was invading my life right now.
He cupped the back of my head and whispered in my ear. “You’re fine. You’re safe. I’m here. Your family is okay. Jonah and Ryan are on top of this.”
I nodded but still trembled in his arms.
“When will it be over?” I choked out.
“Soon. I’m sure it will be over soon.”
Jonah appeared and opened the door the rest of the way. “It doesn’t look like the loft has been breached but why don’t you take a look around and see if you notice anything out of place.” He bent over and inspected the lock. “No signs of attempted lock-picking. I think he just wanted to scare you. My guess, same reason he didn’t kill the security guard. Frank wasn’t the target. Scaring you was. Maybe so you’d make a mistake, allow him access to you somehow.”
I followed Killian inside completely lost to my own thoughts. He led me to the comfy couch where we watched TV, and I sat in the corner with my knees curled up toward my chest. He wrapped me in a fluffy blanket, then snapped and pointed to the couch seat. Brutus jumped up, leaned against my body, and rested his head against me. My cuddly protector. I put my hand to his soft fur and petted him while the men walked from each area attempting to see if there was anything missing.
After about twenty minutes, Killian confirmed he didn’t see anything amiss. Jonah and Ryan said they were going to check the security feeds and come back to discuss what happened.
Killian entered the kitchen and filled the tea kettle with water before moving it to the stove. He opened