Amelia couldn't feel her hands.
The note trembled violently between her fingers.
TELL DAMIEN THE BOY IS NEXT.
The words blurred.
Then sharpened again.
Her breathing became shallow.
Uneven.
Panicked.
For a moment, the shattered window, the rain pouring into the apartment, and Maya's frightened voice all faded into the background.
Only one thing remained.
Jethro.
Her son.
Someone wanted him.
Someone was threatening him.
And they weren't hiding it anymore.
They were becoming bolder.
Closer.
More dangerous.
"Amelia..."
Maya's voice sounded distant.
She turned slowly.
The fear on Maya's face mirrored her own.
Neither of them needed to say it.
The situation had changed.
This wasn't intimidation anymore.
This was escalation.
Someone had broken into their lives.
Someone
