Ava POV
The note stayed in my palm, folded and damp with sweat. I didn't let go of it. Not when we walked back into the house. Not when Marcus locked the door behind us. Not when the weight of those two words—darling girl—kept echoing in my head like a scream that wouldn't fade.
Marcus moved first. He always did. "We need to lock this place down. Every door. Every window. Every access point."
He pulled his phone from his pocket and started typing with sharp, quick jabs. I watched his fingers move, remembering how those same hands had held me just hours ago. How they'd traced patterns on my skin and made me feel safe. Now they were just hands. Busy hands. Lying hands.
"What are you doing?" Damien asked.
"Calling in a security team. Guys I trust."
"Trust?" Damien laughed, the sound bit
