I don't have answers. Not yet. But Cade's questions have forced me to acknowledge that I need to find them, and soon. Because he's right about one thing. I am willing to risk everything to keep Nova safe, and that's a level of commitment that deserves honesty. From both of us.
Our radios crackle, breaking the tension between us. Elias's voice comes through, tense but controlled.
"Movement at coordinate echo seven. Single male, armed, moving west toward the cabin. Definitely not local."
Vance. It has to be.
"All teams converge," Sawyer responds immediately. "Maintain distance, establish perimeter. No engagement until we're all in position."
Cade and I exchange a look, all personal conversation forgotten as we shift into combat mode. We change direction, moving swiftly but silently through the forest toward the coordinates Elias provided.
This is it.
I push all thoughts of tomorrow from my mind, focusing only on the hunt, on the threat, on the man who dared to terrorize the woman I've come to care for more than my own safety.
Robert Vance made a critical error when he followed Nova to Montana, to my mountain, to territory where the McKenna brothers have been hunting predators since childhood.
He came looking for vulnerable prey.
He's about to find something very different.
8
NOVA
The panic room feels like a cage despite its comfortable furnishings. I pace the limited space, counting steps to keep my mind occupied. Eight steps from wall to wall. Six steps from door to bathroom. Four steps from bed to communication console.
Too small. Too confining. Too much like being trapped while the people I care about risk their lives for me.
The monitors show me the cabin's interior, empty now that Finn and his brothers have moved into the forest to hunt the man who's hunting me. The silence is oppressive, broken only by the soft hum of air circulation and the occasional crackle from the radio on the console.
I press my hand against the cool metal door, imagining I can feel Finn on the other side, though I know he's far away by now. Tracking Robert Vance through miles of mountain wilderness, putting himself in danger because of me.
Because I brought this danger to his doorstep. To his mountain. To his family.
The thought sits like lead in my stomach. I've spent my career surrounded by people who are paid to solve my problems, to smooth my path, to take care of whatever needs taking care of so Nova Wilde can shine without complications.
But this is different. Finn and his brothers aren't just doing a job. They're risking their lives because they believe I'm worth protecting. Because Finn asked them to, and in the McKenna family, that request carries the weight of blood obligation.
And what have I done to deserve such a sacrifice? What right do I have to ask these men to face a killer on my behalf?
The radio crackles to life, startling me from my spiral of guilt.
"Nova? It's Finn. Check in."
I rush to the console, pressing the transmit button with shaking fingers. "I'm here. I'm fine. Where are you? What's happening?"
"We've located Vance." His voice is calm, and controlled, giving nothing away. "Elias spotted him moving toward the cabin. We're converging now."
My heart stutters in my chest. "He's coming here? For me?"
"He won't get anywhere near you." The promise in Finn's voice is absolute. "The panic room is secure, and we'll intercept him long before he reaches the cabin."
"Be careful," I say, unable to keep the fear from my voice. "All of you. Please be careful."
"Always am." There's a pause, and when he speaks again, his voice is lower, meant only for me despite the open channel his brothers can hear. "Nova. Whatever happens, remember to stay in that room. No matter what you hear, no matter who calls for you. Don't open that door for anyone but me."
"I won't." I clutch the radio like a lifeline. "Finn..."
