“Hand them to the Morrison family,” he said, his voice like steel. “But watch the police closely. No one tampers with this, no one takes advantage.”

    He nced at Carrie, still close, her presence grounding him. She was safe for now, but he would not rest until every threat was buried.

    With a sharp flick of his wrist, the leader signaled the two men guarding the captive to move out of the room.

    “We split our crew into teams tob every inch of this ce,” the leader said, his voice steady as he adjusted his cap. “The n was to track down the woman who bolted. But then we stumbled on two other groups skulking around. Neither seems to know the other exists, yet both are hunting Ms. Campbell. One bunch looks like street thugs—cracked like eggs under pressure, admitting someone paid them to find her. The other lot, though? They’re different. Stone-cold, like assassins or trained killers. We worked one of them over pretty good, but he mped his lips shut and gave us nothing.”

    Kristopher’s brow furrowed, his mind grappling for a response. “Get them all to the police station,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Dig into their backgrounds quietly. See if we can uncover who they are.”

    “Yes, Mr. Norris.” The leader nodded, then paused, his gaze shifting to Carrie, who stood pale and trembling nearby. “Should we call an ambnce from our hospital?”

    Before he could finish, the door swung open. Reece strode in, nked by police officers and medics, their footsteps echoing in the cramped room.

    Reece’s eyesnded on Kristopher, whose arm still rested protectively around Carrie. A flicker of irritation crossed his face, like a shadow passing over still water. But when he learned Kristopher had pulled Carrie from danger, he swallowed his unease.

    After all, a hug was nothing in the grand picture. Without Kristopher, Carrie might have been lost to them.

    Carrie caught sight of Reece and eased out of Kristopher’s hold, her movements quick.

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    In Kristopher’s arms, she had kept her emotions tethered, but now, seeing her cousin, the dam broke. Her eyes glistened as she crossed the room to Reece, her steps unsteady. All the fear she had buried surged to the surface, threatening to spill over.

    Reece’s chest tightened at the sight of her. They were adults, careful about touch under normal circumstances, but this was no ordinary moment. He pulled her into a fierce embrace, his voice soft but thick with guilt. “I should have been here sooner.”

    His hand gently patted her back, then smoothed a stray lock of hair from her face, a gesture both tender and grounding.

    Kristopher watched, his eyes narrowing as Reece’s hands lingered on Carrie.

    A knot twisted in his gut. Why did they hold each other like that? They were cousins, yes, but distant ones, separated by decades. To him, they might as well have been strangers.

    The thought gnawed at him, irrational yet persistent. He could do nothing but stand there, his jaw tight, his heart restless.

    He tugged at his cor, seeking relief from the stifling weight in his chest, only to find the top buttons already undone.

    The room carried no scent of blood, just a faint whiff of urine, yet the tension coiled tighter, wrapping around them all like a living thing.

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