"Nothing's going to happen to you," he murmurs against my hair. "Not while I'm breathing."
Then he's gone, slipping out the door to deal with whatever new threat has emerged, leaving me alone with the ghost of his touch and the certainty that nothing about this situation is going to end the way either of us expects.
By the timeI make it downstairs, Finn and Cade are huddled around the satellite phone in the living room, their expressions grim as they listen to whatever Frank is saying on the other end. I hover in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt but desperate to know what's happening.
Finn spots me and motions me over, turning up the volume on the phone speaker.
"Nova's here now, Frank," he says. "Tell her what you just told us."
"Ms. Wilde," Frank's voice crackles through the speaker. "I'm afraid we have some concerning developments."
"What kind of developments?" I ask, moving to stand beside Finn, drawing strength from his solid presence.
"The FBI has identified your stalker. His name is Robert Vance. Former military, dishonorably discharged three years ago for violent behavior toward female officers. Since then, he's worked as a security contractor for various celebrities, including a six month stint on your security detail last year."
The information freezes my core. Someone from my own security team. Someone I would have passed in the hallway, nodded to, perhaps even thanked for keeping me safe.
"I don't remember him," I say, my voice sounding distant to my own ears.
"You wouldn't," Frank continues. "He was on your outer perimeter team, not personal security. But he would have had access to your home, your schedule, your routines."
"That explains how he got inside so easily," Finn says, his hand finding the small of my back, a subtle point of contact that grounds me. "And how he knew about the extraction."
"Exactly," Frank confirms. "But here's where it gets worse. The FBI raided his apartment in Los Angeles yesterday. They found photos of Ms. Wilde. Hundreds of them, going back over a year. Surveillance equipment. Detailed notes on her schedule, her habits, even her medications."
I feel sick, imagining this man watching me, studying me, planning God knows what while I went about my life oblivious to the danger.
"That's not all," Frank continues, his voice grim. "They also found maps of Montana. Specifically, the area around Grizzly Ridge."
The room seems to tilt around me. "He knows where I am."
"We can't confirm that," Frank says quickly. "But we have to assume it's possible. He had connections to your security team, and if he's been planning this for as long as we think, he may have placed trackers on your vehicles or belongings."
"What about here?" Cade asks, his tactical mind immediately assessing threats. "Any evidence he's in the area?"
"Nothing concrete. But a man matching his description bought camping equipment in Billings three days ago. And there was a credit card charge at a gas station about fifty miles from your location yesterday morning."
Finn's hand tightens on my back, his body tensing beside me. "He's hunting her."
"It's a strong possibility," Frank admits. "The FBI is mobilizing, but it's remote territory and they're thin on manpower. Local sheriff's department is being notified, but."
"But they're not equipped for this kind of threat," Finn finishes. "And by the time they organize a proper search, it could be too late."
The clinical way they discuss my potential murder should terrify me. Instead, I find myself oddly calm, as if watching the situation unfold from a distance.
"What's the plan?" I ask, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice.
Finn looks at me, something like pride flickering in his eyes. "We assume he's already here. That the tracks Cade found yesterday were his. That he's watching the property, looking for weaknesses, planning his approach."
"And then what? We wait for him to make a move?"
"No," Cade says, shaking his head. "Waiting puts us at a disadvantage. If he's out there, we find him first."
"How?"
"We hunt him," Finn says simply. "Cade and I know these mountains better than anyone. If he's out there, we'll find him."
"And leave Nova there alone?" Frank's voice cuts through the speaker. "That seems like an unnecessary risk."
