Page 36

Trevor's sedan is already there, parked at a sharp angle like he was in too much of a hurry to care. He's out of the car, standing at her front door with his hand raised to knock. In the porch light I can see his shoulders are tight, his whole body coiled with tension.

I'm out of my truck before it's fully stopped.

"Get away from her door."

Trevor spins around. For a second he looks surprised. Then his expression hardens into something ugly.

"This is none of your business."

"Step away from the door. Now."

Through the window I can see movement. A shadow pulling back from the curtain. Lyla's inside, and I know without seeing her face that she's terrified.

That does it.

"You're on private property without permission. That's trespassing. Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

"You can't arrest me for this. I'm just trying to talk to her. That's not illegal."

He tries to push past me to get to the door. His shoulder drives into my chest and I catch his arm, spinning him around and pressing him against the porch post. The wood is cold and damp with evening air. He tries to pull away, wild and panicked now.

"Stop resisting."

"I'm not—"

He shoves me. Hard. His palms connect with my chest and I take a step back. It's not much. Barely enough to create space. But it's enough.

"And now you're under arrest for assault on an officer." I have him cuffed and face-first against the porch post in under five seconds. The handcuffs click into place with a sound that's deeply satisfying. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I've explained them to you?"

"Fuck you. This is harassment. I'm going to sue you and this whole fucking town—"

"I'll take that as a yes."

Ethan's cruiser pulls in, lights flashing blue and red across the trees. Between the two of us we get Trevor into the back seat. He's yelling about his rights and harassment and lawsuits, but I tune it out. I've heard it all before.

"Take him back to the station," I tell Ethan. "Book him for trespassing, harassment, stalking, and assault on an officer. Make sure everything's documented. Photos, the works."

"All of that?" Ethan's eyebrows rise.

"All of that. I'll follow you back to write it up."

Ethan drives away with Trevor's angry face visible through the back window, still yelling, still making threats that don't mean anything. I stand there in the driveway waiting for my heart rate to come back to normal. The adrenaline is starting to fade and my hands are shaking slightly. I curl them into fists until it stops.

The front door opens.

"Kieran?"

I turn. Lyla's standing on the porch wrapped in an oversized gray sweater that falls to mid-thigh, looking small and scared. Her face is pale in the porch light. Her eyes are too wide.

"It's over," I tell her, walking toward the porch. "He's gone."

She comes down the steps slowly, like she's not quite sure this is real or if he might somehow reappear. Then she's in front of me, looking up at me with tears already spilling over.

"I heard his car and I looked out and he was just there. At the door. I thought he was going to break it down. I thought—" Her voice breaks.

"He didn't get the chance." I pull her into my arms and she comes easily, pressing her face against my chest. Her whole body is shaking. "You're safe. I promise."

She's crying in earnest now, big gulping sobs that make her shoulders heave. I hold her while she falls apart, one hand in her hair, the other spread across her back, murmuring things that probably don't make sense but seem to help anyway. The night air is cold around us but she's warm against me, and I can feel her heart hammering.