Chapter 18 - The Fortress
The night was agonizingly long.
Outside, the woods were pitch black.
Inside, I turned the living room into a massive camp.
We dragged every mattress, pillow, and blanket from the bedrooms and built a giant fortress in front of the fireplace.
Maya was there too, having been evacuated by security hours earlier.
She helped me make hot chocolate for the boys.
"Is Dad coming back?" Caleb asked quietly, staring at the fire.
"Yes," I promised him without a shadow of a doubt.
"He's just taking out the trash."
Evan gave me a small, knowing smirk.
He knew exactly what "taking out the trash" meant.
We played board games, told ghost stories, and eventually, the boys fell asleep in a massive pile of blankets.
I sat awake in a chair by the door, a heavy metal flashlight in my hand, just in case.
At 4:00 AM, the front door unlocked.
I jumped up, raising the flashlight.
Adrian stepped inside.
His suit jacket was gone.
His white shirt had a few dark, terrifying stains on it, and his knuckles were bruised.
He looked exhausted, but there was a deep, profound peace in his eyes.
He looked at the sleeping boys, then at me.
"It's done," Adrian whispered, leaning heavily against the doorframe.
"Lorenzo?" I asked quietly.
"He won't ever look at my family again," Adrian stated coldly.
"The threat is entirely gone."
He walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face in my neck.
He smelled like smoke, cold air, and gunpowder.
But to me, he just smelled like safety.
May you like
"Take us home, Adrian," I whispered, holding him tight.
"Tomorrow," he promised.
