Chapter 24: Protective Custody
259 words
“Get in the car. Now.”
Marcus didn’t ask; he commanded. His hand was a steel clamp on Sarah’s arm, shoving her into the backseat of the arriving squad car before the fire department even unrolled a hose.
Rain blurred the windows, turning the world into a smear of gray and flashing blue lights. Through the glass, Sarah watched the charred skeleton of Elias’s sedan smolder. The heat still radiated through the rain.
“He tried to kill us,” Sarah whispered, her hands instinctively shielding her belly. The baby kicked—a frantic flutter against her ribs, mirroring her racing heart.
Marcus slid in beside her, soaked to the bone, water dripping from his nose. His shark-like composure was gone; he looked predatory. “Attempted murder. That changes the venue. It changes everything.”
Sarah leaned back, closing her eyes. She had no money for a hotel, no home to return to, and now, a billionaire wanted her dead.
The “safe house” was a Motel 6 wrapped in police tape. A downgrade from her apartment, which was already a downgrade from the life Julian stole from her.
The detective tossed a cheap burner phone on the stained bedspread. “No calls. No internet. You don’t exist until the trial.”
Sarah touched the peeling wallpaper. She was a prisoner in her own fight for justice. “What about Julian?” she asked, her voice hollow.
Marcus looked at the rain-streaked window, his eyes cold. “Julian just made the biggest mistake of his life. He stopped being a CEO and started being a felon.”
End of Chapter 24
