Chapter 5 Sarah

Sarah

The sound of shattering glass woke me from a restless sleep, and for a terrible moment, I was back in my apartment in Twin Forks, listening to Marcus break through the front door.

I sat up in bed, my heart pounding, my hand already reaching for the lamp on the nightstand. The guest room was dark, but the moonlight streaming through the window cast enough light for me to see Aiden still sleeping peacefully beside me, his small body curled against my side. He hadn't stirred.

Another sound followed the first—a low curse, then the crunch of boots on broken glass. I recognized Knox's voice, though I couldn't make out the words. I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Aiden, and padded to the door.

When I opened it, I found Knox standing in the living room, staring at the front window. A brick lay on the floor amid a scatter of shattered glass, and a piece of paper was wrapped around it with a rubber band.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Knox didn't turn around. "Someone decided to send a message."

I crossed the room to stand beside him, my bare feet careful to avoid the glass. The night air was cool against my skin, and I could see the quiet street beyond the broken window. There was no sign of anyone, no sound except the distant hum of a car engine.

"Who would do this?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Knox bent down and picked up the brick, removing the paper from around it. He unfolded it carefully, his expression darkening as he read whatever was written there.

"What does it say?" I asked.

He handed it to me without a word. The handwriting was familiar—angry, slanted, the letters pressed hard into the paper.

You think you can hide from me? I know where you are. I know who you're with. I'll take what's mine, and I'll make sure everyone who helped you pays for it.

My hands trembled as I read the words, and I had to fight the urge to crumple the paper into a ball. "He found me."

"He never lost you." Knox's voice was flat. "He's been watching. Waiting. This is just his way of letting us know he's still here."

"What do we do?"

Knox turned to look at me then, and I saw something in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. Not anger, not suspicion—something harder. Something that looked like determination.

"We don't do anything," he said. "You stay here with Aiden. I'll handle this."

"Handle it how?" I asked, my voice rising. "You can't just—"

"I can and I will." He cut me off, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This is my world, Sarah. These are my rules. And in my world, when someone threatens what's mine, I don't sit around waiting for them to make the next move."

I wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that this wasn't just his fight, that I had been dealing with Marcus for months before I ever showed up on his doorstep. But I knew it wouldn't make a difference. Knox had already made up his mind.

"I'm not going to let you shut me out," I said instead. "I'm not some damsel in distress who needs you to save her. I've been surviving on my own for three years."

"Surviving," Knox repeated the word like it was a joke. "Is that what you call running from one town to the next, hiding in apartments with locks that anyone could break through? That's not surviving, Sarah. That's barely existing."

The words stung, but only because they were true. I had been barely existing. I had been so focused on keeping Aiden safe that I had forgotten what it felt like to actually live.

"You don't know anything about what I've been through," I said, my voice tight. "You don't know what I've sacrificed."

"Then tell me." Knox stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. "Tell me what happened after you left. Tell me why you didn't come back. Tell me the truth about that boy."

I looked away, my gaze fixed on the shattered window. The truth was right there, burning on my tongue, demanding to be spoken. But I couldn't. Not now. Maybe not ever.

"I already told you," I said. "His name is Michael. He left before Aiden was born. There's nothing else to tell."

Knox stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he shook his head and turned away.

"Go back to bed," he said. "I'll clean this up." 

Knox

I spent the rest of the night boarding up the window and making calls. By the time the sun rose, I had a plan.

Damon arrived at seven, his expression grim as he surveyed the damage. "This is getting serious, Knox. If Marcus is bold enough to do this while you're home, what's he going to do when you're not?"

"That's why we're not going to give him the chance." I handed him a cup of coffee and gestured toward the kitchen table. "I've been thinking about this all night. We need to move them."

"Move them where?"

"The clubhouse. It's the most secure location we have. Thick walls, limited access, and enough men to keep watch around the clock."

Damon considered this for a moment. "You think Sarah's going to agree to that?"

"I don't care if she agrees." I took a seat across from him, my voice hard. "This isn't a negotiation. She came to me for protection, and that's what I'm going to give her. Whether she likes it or not."

"And the kid?"

"Aiden comes too. He's safer with us than he is anywhere else."

Damon nodded slowly. "What about the club? Some of the men might not be comfortable with a woman and a child in the clubhouse. You know how they can be."

"They'll get over it." I took a sip of my coffee, the bitter taste grounding me. "This is my decision, and they'll respect it. If anyone has a problem, they can take it up with me."

Damon didn't say anything else. He just nodded and finished his coffee, then stood to leave.

"I'll get the men together," he said. "We'll have the clubhouse ready by noon."

"Good." I watched him go, then turned my attention to the hallway where Sarah had disappeared. She hadn't come out of the guest room since our conversation in the living room, and I knew she was probably still awake, listening to every word.

I walked down the hallway and knocked on the door. "Sarah. We need to talk."

A moment later, the door opened, and she stood there with Aiden in her arms. The little boy was awake now, his eyes bright and curious as he looked up at me.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked, her voice wary.

"We're moving you to the clubhouse," I said. "It's safer there. More men, better security. Marcus won't be able to get anywhere near you."

"I don't want to go to the clubhouse." She clutched Aiden tighter, her expression defiant. "I don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of bikers I don't know."

"You don't have a choice." My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "This isn't about what you want, Sarah. This is about keeping you and your son alive. And if that means moving you to the clubhouse, then that's what we're going to do."

She stared at me for a long moment, and I could see the war playing out behind her eyes. The desire to protect her son warring with the fear of losing control.

"Fine," she said finally. "But I'm not going to be treated like a prisoner. I'm not going to sit in a room and wait for you to tell me what's happening."

"I wouldn't expect you to." I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing in the quiet house. "Be ready in an hour. We leave at eight."