The silence that followed Calder’s words was suffocating.
Diane stood frozen, her breath shallow, her pulse pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else. The warning hung in the air, thick and unmistakable.
You’re starting to ask the same questions she did.
Her mother.
The thought twisted painfully in her chest.
“So what?” Diane said, her voice trembling but defiant. “That means I’m next? That’s what you’re implying?”
Calder didn’t answer immediately.
That alone was enough.
Damon stepped in front of her then, his body tense, protective instincts snapping into place despite everything between them. “You’re not touching her,” he said, his voice low and lethal.
Calder’s lips curved slightly. “You’ve always had a flair for dramatics, Damon.”
“This isn’t a game,” Damon snapped.
