Ella pressed her phone to her ear, glancing around the dimly lit room of the new safe house. The boys were playing quietly in the corner, their toys spread across the floor as they laughed, oblivious to the tension weighing her down. She waited for Derek to pick up, her fingers tapping nervously against the kitchen counter.
After a few rings, his gruff voice came through. “have you reached there?”
“Yeah, we made it,” Ella replied, her voice low. “The place is secure, no signs of anyone following us. But... I don’t know, Derek. The boys are starting to notice all the moving. I don’t know what to tell them if they ask questions”
Derek’s sigh crackled through the line. “You are doing everything to keep them safe. As long as Tania’s out there, you don’t have a choice. But I’ll keep looking
