Chapter 82
Aria pov
Three Hours Later
The penthouse looked like a military operation, security specialists swarmed everywhere, installing additional cameras, reinforcing windows, setting up motion sensors. Noah thought it was the coolest thing ever.
He followed the technicians around, asking a million questions, pretending to help install equipment. I stood at the window, watching the city below, wondering where Marcus was, what he was planning.
“Aria.” Damien came up beside me, two glasses of wine in hand. “You should eat something p>
“I am not hungry p>
“You haven’t eaten since breakfast.” He pressed a glass into my hand. “At least drink this p>
I took it but didn’t drink. The wine sloshed in the glass, dark red against the crystal.
“Wine?” I stared at him. “It’s barely noon, Damien, and I haven’t eaten anything p>
He looked down at the glasses in his hands, then back at me with a sheepish expression. “Right. That was stupid.” He set both glasses on the window ledge. “Let me get you something else. Coffee? Tea p>
“Something with actual substance would be better p>
He thought for a moment. “How about a milkshake? I can have one sent up. Chocolate? Vanilla?
“Chocolate,” I said, managing a small smile despite everything. “Thank you p>
He nodded and stepped away to make the call, his voice low as he spoke to whoever handled such things. I turned back to the window, watching the city sprawl below us, all those buildings where Marcus could be hiding, planning.
When Damien returned a few minutes later, he stood beside me again. “Twenty minutes. They’re making it fresh, and I ordered some food too—sandwiches, fruit. Something light p>
I nodded gratefully. The thought of food still made my stomach uncertain, but the idea of something cold and sweet seemed manageable. “What if we’re making a mistake?” I asked again, my voice barely above a whisper. “What if staying here gets Noah hurt p>
“Then we adapt.” His arm came around my shoulders. The weight of it was warm, solid. “But running blindly isn’t the answer. At least here we can control the environment, anticipate threats p>
“Can we though?” I gestured to the security team. One of them was drilling into the wall, the sound loud and grating. Another was on a ladder, adjusting a camera. “Marcus got past all of this once already p>
He turned to face me. “We won’t make that mistake again. Every person in this building has been re-vetted, every system has been upgraded, Marcus won’t get in again p>
“You sound very confident p>
“I have to be.” His hand cupped my face, his palm was rough, calloused. “For you, for Noah. For all of us p>
I leaned into his touch, letting myself take comfort for just a moment. His body heat seeped into me. I could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong.
“Damien, what Lucas said—about you changing—I meant it. You have changed p>
“But?” He heard the unspoken word.
“But I’m still scared.” The admission hurt, mythroat felt tight, like the words had to force their way out. “Scared you’ll revert when things get hard. Scared this is just temporary, scared I’m falling for an illusion p>
“I’m scared too.” His thumb brushed my cheek. The touch was gentle, almost hesitant. “Scared I’ll fail you again. Scared I’m not capable of being the man you need, scared that one day you’ll wake up and realize you deserve better p>
“So we’re both terrified p>
“Completely.” He smiled sadly, the corners of his mouth barely lifted. “But maybe that’s okay. Maybe being scared means we actually care about getting it right this time p>
“Maybe,” I whispered.
Behind us, someone dropped a piece of equipment. The clang echoed through the room. I jumped, my hand tightening into fist.
Damien’s hand moved to the small of my back. “It’s okay, just the crew p>
I took a breath and let it out slowly. My heart was racing, pounding against my ribs. Every sound felt like a threat now. Every shadow looked like Marcus.
This was what he’d done to us, made us afraid in our own home.
“Daddy! Mama!” Noah came running over. His feet slapped against the hardwood floor. His hair was sticking up in all directions. “Mr. Steve says there’s cameras that can see in the dark! Can we get some for my room so I can spy on the monsters p>
“There are no monsters, baby,” I said automatically.
“But if there were, I could see them!” He was bouncing with excitement, his whole body vibrating with it. “Please p>
Damien and I exchanged glances. I could see the calculation in his eyes. The way he was weighing Noah’s innocence against the reality of our situation.
“Sure, buddy,” Damien said. “We’ll install night vision cameras in your room. Make it the most monster-proof room in the city p>
“Yes!” Noah ran off to tell “Mr. Steve” the good news, his footsteps faded across the room.
“We’re really doing this,” I said quietly. “Turning our home into a fortress. Teaching our three-year-old about security systems p>
“For now.” Damien pulled me closer. I could smell his cologne, mixed with sweat and coffee. “But one day, when Marcus is dealt with, when the threats are gone—we’ll have a normal life. No guards, no cameras, just us p>
“You promise p>
“I promise.” He kissed my forehead, his lips were warm, dry. “We’re going to get through this, Aria. And on the other side, we’re going to build something beautiful p>
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that we could survive this nightmare and find peace on the other side.
But as I looked out at the city, at the thousands of places Marcus could be hiding, planning, waiting—I couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
“Honestly Marcus has made our life a living hell since I came back here,” I said. My voice came out bitter, sharp. “I thought the real devil was my family, but wonderfully your psychotic brother has taken the crown.” I clapped mockingly, the sound hollow in the big room. “I just went from being near the fire to being inside the fire directly p>
Damien’s jaw tightened. I watched the muscle work there, saw the way his eyes went cold and flat.
“We will hunt him down.” His voice was low, dangerous. The kind of voice that made people nervous. “We use every resource, every connection, every dirty trick in the book. And when we find him p>
“We end this,” I finished.
“We end this,” he agreed.
The room felt colder suddenly. Like the temperature had dropped ten degrees. I rubbed my arms, feeling goosebumps rise on my skin.
I looked at Noah, playing happily with his new “security system,” oblivious to the danger stalking us. He was showing one of the technicians his toy dinosaur, making it roar. The tech was nodding seriously, like it was the most important conversation in the world.
My chest ached. That deep, physical pain that came from loving someone so much it scared you.
The milkshake arrived an hour later, thick and cold, with whipped cream piled high on top. I wrapped both hands around the glass, letting the chill seep into my palms before taking a sip. The chocolate was rich and sweet, coating my tongue, filling the hollow ache in my stomach.
Damien had ordered sandwiches too—turkey and avocado on wheat bread, cut into triangles like I was a child. But I was grateful. I picked at one, taking small bites, forcing myself to chew and swallow even though my throat felt tight.
The food helped. The sugar from the milkshake, the protein from the sandwich—it steadied me, cleared the fog from my head. I hadn’t realized how shaky I’d been until the trembling in my hands finally stopped.
“Better?” Damien asked, watching me finish the last of the milkshake.
I nodded, setting the empty glass aside. But the knot in my chest remained.
“I need this to be over,” I said quietly. “I need to stop looking over my shoulder. Stop checking the locks three times before bed. Stop having nightmares about him getting to Noah p>
Damien took the glass from my hand. Set it on the windowsill. Then he pulled me into his arms, wrapping me up tight.
“It will be,” he said into my hair. “I swear to you, Aria. This will end p>
I pressed my face against his chest. Listened to his heartbeat. Felt the rise and fall of his breathing.
And I tried to believe him.
Later That Night
Noah was finally asleep, exhausted from his exciting day of “helping” install security equipment. I stood in his doorway, watching him sleep, Mr. Hoppy clutched to his chest.
“He’s out cold,” Damien said softly behind me.
“Good.” I pulled the door halfway closed. “He needs the rest p>
“So do you.” He touched my shoulder. “When’s the last time you slept a full night p>
“I don’t remember.” I rubbed my eyes. They felt gritty, dry. Like someone had poured sand in them. “Every time I close my eyes, I see Marcus. Or I see Noah being taken. Or I see”
“What p>
“You.” I turned to face him. The hallway was dim. Just the soft glow from the nightlight in Noah’s room and the light from the living room behind us. “Leaving. Disappearing. Proving that this is all temporary p>
“Aria”
“I know it’s not rational.” I wrapped my arms around myself. The air conditioning was too high. My skin felt cold, clammy. “But years of survival instincts don’t just disappear because you’ve been nice for a few weeks p>