Chapter 2 - The Red Dot On The Wall
Declan’s reaction was instantaneous. The moment the crimson beam flickered against the wallpaper, he moved with lethal speed. In one fluid motion, he shielded my body with his own, pressing us down toward the floor between the sofa and the wall, keeping James completely protected beneath us.
"Stay down!" Declan commanded, his voice dark and razor-sharp. "Do not move, Clara!"
"Declan, what is happening?!" Panic surged through my veins like ice water. I pulled James against my collarbone, shielding his tiny head with my hands.
"The blinds," Declan muttered, looking toward the window where the heavy curtains hung slightly open. "Someone tracked me here. Or worse... someone was already watching this house."
The headlights of an unmarked black SUV cut through the falling snow outside. Through the sheer curtains, I saw two dark figures step out of the vehicle, moving quickly up the snow-covered walk of my Maple Street home. They weren't police. They carried heavy leather duffel bags and moved with tactical precision.
"Why would someone follow you here?" I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"They didn't follow me to catch you with another man, Clara," Declan said, his green eyes burning with an terrifying mix of rage and remorse. "They followed me because Arthur Vance knew I came here tonight. I called Arthur from my car an hour ago, furious, telling him I was going to your address because a private investigator claimed you were living with a newborn. Arthur urged me not to go. He said he would 'handle it.'"
"Arthur?" I gasped. "Your family’s lawyer for twenty years?"
"Arthur doesn't answer to me," Declan said, realization dawning like a violent nightmare. "He answers to the Rowan Family Trust Board. To my stepbrother, Julian."
A heavy thud echoed from the back kitchen door. Someone was forcing the lock.
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"They aren't here to spy," Declan whispered, his hands steadying my shoulders as he looked directly into my eyes. "Julian knows the terms of our father's will. If I divorce without an heir, my forty percent controlling interest in Rowan Holdings forfeits to Julian on midnight of December thirty-first. But if I have a legitimate son..." He looked down at James, who was sleeping peacefully through the terror. "...Julian loses everything."
The glass on the kitchen door shattered.
