Brielle sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her arms wrapped tightly around the two little girls.
She had barely blinked throughout the journey.
Her mind refused to settle.
She had just met this man on the road.
She knew nothing about him.
What if he wasn’t who he claimed to be?
What if he belonged to the same gang that had attacked her?
Worse—what if he was somehow connected to Vaughn?
Every possibility sent another chill through her.
Sleep was out of the question tonight.
She couldn’t afford to let her guard down.
Not now.
Not when the lives of two children depended on her staying alert.
Dorian, meanwhile, was lost in his own thoughts.
He had no regrets about helping her.
Anyone with a conscience would have done the same after witnessing what he had.
But bringing a complete stranger into his home was another matter entirely.
He had considered taking her to the police station, but one look at her had changed his mind.
The woman looked far too traumatized to spend the night answering questions and dealing with paperwork.
The children were exhausted, too.
Perhaps, he thought, giving them somewhere safe to rest for the night was the least he could do.
The evening lights streaked past the windows as they drove through the quiet streets.
Eventually, the car came to a stop.
Dorian stepped out and walked around to Brielle’s side.
“We’re here.” Brielle glanced at the large house before looking back at him.
She didn’t move.
Dorian noticed the hesitation.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” he said quietly.
Her fingers tightened around the children.
She said nothing.
Before Dorian could say anything else, a voice came from somewhere ahead.
“Mr.
Wolfe.” Both of them froze.
A man stepped out from the shadows.
He was dressed in a dark blue-black suit, a file tucked neatly beneath one arm.
His expression was surprisingly warm, almost welcoming, but something about his unexpected presence made Brielle’s stomach tighten.
“I’ve been waiting for a while now,” he said, walking toward them.
“Where have you been?” His eyes shifted to Brielle.
“And who is this?” Confusion and curiosity flickered across his face.
Brielle instinctively took a small step backward.
She looked nothing like someone who had simply returned home after an ordinary evening.
Her clothes were tattered, her hair disheveled, and exhaustion clung to every feature of her face.
Bruises marked her skin, and her pale complexion revealed just how much she had endured.
Yet beneath all of it, there was still something striking about her.
Her eyes, however, were no longer merely frightened.
They were cautious.
Watchful.
Ready.
“She, uh…” Dorian hesitated.
For the first time since meeting her, he realized something.
He didn’t even know her name.
The man noticed his hesitation.
“Miss?” he said, extending a hand toward Brielle.
“Your name?” Brielle stared at his hand.
She didn’t take it.
Instead, she stepped farther back, clutching the children protectively against her chest.
The man’s hand remained suspended for a moment before he slowly withdrew it and slipped it into his pocket.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Dorian cleared his throat.
“I believe we have some things to discuss.” The man studied him for a moment before giving a quiet nod.
“Yes.
We do.” He turned and began walking toward the house with Dorian.
After a few steps, Dorian stopped.
“Mrs.
Nancy!” A few seconds later, the sound of approaching footsteps came from inside.
A woman in her late forties descended the stairs and approached them.
“Sir,” she greeted warmly.
“You called?” Dorian nodded toward Brielle.
“Please, take care of her.
There’s something I’d like to discuss with Mr.
Norman privately.” Nancy’s gaze moved toward Brielle.
She seemed to notice the bruises almost immediately.
“Of course, sir.” Dorian gave Brielle one last glance before following the man inside.
Brielle watched them disappear beyond the hallway.
She didn’t know why, but something about the exchange unsettled her.
She had no idea who the man was.
She didn’t know why he had been waiting for Dorian.
And she certainly didn’t understand why Dorian seemed to have secrets of his own.
“Who are you?” Nancy asked.
Brielle turned toward her.
“Brielle.” Nancy smiled faintly.
“I’m Nancy.” She paused before continuing.
“And are you related to Mr.
Wolfe in any way?” Brielle remained silent.
“Sorry for asking,” Nancy added.
“He rarely brings anyone home.
And he’s never mentioned you to us.” Still, Brielle said nothing.
Nancy seemed to understand that she wasn’t going to get an answer.
“Come,” she said gently.
“I’ll take you to the guest room.” Brielle followed cautiously.
They climbed the stairs and walked down a quiet hallway before Nancy opened a door.
The guest room was spacious and tastefully decorated.
Soft lighting illuminated the neatly made bed, while pale curtains framed the large window.
Everything was clean, warm and strangely peaceful.
For the first time that night, Brielle felt her shoulders loosen.
“You can rest here,” Nancy said.
“I’ll leave you alone.” Brielle gave a small nod.
Nancy turned toward the door.
Then she paused.
“If you need anything, just call for me.” With that, she left.
The door clicked shut.
Silence returned.
Brielle carefully placed the children on the bed before sinking into one of the chairs beside it.
A long breath escaped her lips.
Her entire body ached, and exhaustion weighed heavily on her eyelids.
But when she looked at the two little girls sleeping peacefully, a faint smile touched her lips.
At least they were safe.
At least, for tonight, they were away from Vaughn.
She leaned back and finally allowed herself to relax.
For the first time in what felt like forever, silence surrounded her.
Then she heard voices.
Brielle’s eyes opened.
They were faint, coming from somewhere downstairs.
She couldn’t make out the words at first.
Curiosity got the better of her.
Slowly, she rose from the chair and approached the bedroom door.
She opened it just enough for the voices to become clearer.
Dorian was speaking.
“…you don’t understand.
I had no choice.” The other man’s voice was quieter, but Brielle could still hear him.
“You brought her here, Dorian.
Do you realize what you’ve done?” Brielle froze.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the door.
There was a pause.
Then Dorian spoke again.
“She doesn’t know anything.” The words sent a chill through Brielle.
Know what?
She leaned closer.
“She can’t stay here,” the man said.
“If they find out you’ve brought her here—” “They won’t.” “You can’t be sure of that.” Silence.
Brielle’s heart began pounding.
Who were they talking about?
And why did it suddenly sound as though bringing her into this house had put Dorian in danger too?
She was about to step away when Dorian spoke again.
His voice was low.
Almost a whisper.
“I’ll deal with it.
But for now, she’s staying.” Brielle’s breath caught.
She quickly stepped away from the door as footsteps approached from the hallway.
She hurried back toward the bed and sat down, pretending to check on the children.
The bedroom door remained slightly open.
A shadow passed across the gap.
Then disappeared.
Brielle stared at the doorway, her heart hammering against her chest.
She had thought she had finally found somewhere safe.
But now she wasn’t so sure.
Because whatever secret Dorian was keeping, she was somehow the center of it.