Chapter 2 - The Shadow of RidgerestMarin’s breath caught in her throat. The weight of Ronan Callahan’s stare felt physical, like a hand pressing down on her chest.
"I don't even know where Ridgerest Hill is!" Marin defended herself, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and indignation. "I work double shifts at a diner downtown. I was walking home with Murphy because the bus line was cut. If I wanted to burn something down, I wouldn't use a kitchen rag and bare hands!"
Ronan studied her face for three long, agonizing seconds. He searched her eyes for deception, for micro-expressions, for the twitch of a professional liar. But all he found was genuine terror, wrapped in exhaustion and stubborn defiance.
Slowly, Ronan straightened up, adjusting his cuffs. A ghost of a smirk played at the corner of his lips. "You have spirit, Miss Miller. Most people wet themselves when I back them into a corner. You bite back."
"I'm not a criminal, Mr. Callahan," Marin said, lifting her chin despite the pain in her hands. "If you're going to kill me for trespassing, get it over with. But let my dog go first."
Ronan let out a low, humorless chuckle. "Kill you? Who said anything about killing you? You saved Mave. Fion’s dog. That creature hasn't wagged her tail or eaten a solid meal in eleven months since my brother died in that 'accident.' Yet, the moment you carried her out of the fire, she let out a single bark and licked your cheek."
He walked over to the French doors, looking out into the sprawling private gardens lit by antique lanterns.
"My security system was deactivated two hours before the fire," Ronan continued, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. "By someone inside my own organization using a master override code. Someone wanted Mave dead. Someone wanted all evidence of my brother's last remaining secrets erased. And you, Marin, walked right into their trap."
May you like
Marin’s stomach churned. "You think whoever burned the house down is coming for me?"
"I don't think," Ronan turned back to face her, his eyes flashing with a lethal resolve. "I know. Which is why you cannot leave this estate. Starting tonight, you and your black beast of a dog are prisoners of Callahan Manor. For your own protection... and mine."
