Chapter 78: The First Blow
The morning broke gray and heavy, the kind of sky that felt like it was holding its breath. Emery woke to the sound of Brent moving quietly through the cabin — not restless, not anxious, but alert. A different kind of alert. The kind that came after a threat had been made and a line had been crossed.
She slipped out of bed and found him in the kitchen, coffee untouched, staring out the window at the driveway where the wooden box had been.
“You didn’t sleep,” she said softly.
He didn’t look away. “Did you?”
She stepped behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “A little.”
He covered her hands with his. “I’m okay.”
She rested her cheek against his back. “I know. I just… hate that he’s doing this.”
Brent exhaled, slow and steady. “He’s desperate.”
“An
