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“Ah, yeah,” I say, shaking my head as I try to understand how this happened. “What the fuck, Jared?”

“Theo has alerts for when people on our shit lists are released and he wasn’t notified, Alastair. Alexa got in through an unlocked door earlier in the day and she hid until Isla got back home. The video feed clearly shows this, but no one caught it because we’ve all been so busy,” Jared explains. “This shouldn’t have happened. It was a fluke, but we’re all reeling from it.”

“Alexa knew where Isla lives,” I breathe. “That’s on us.”

“No, that’s on the newspaper I will be bankrupting,” Jared says nonchalantly. “I don’t fucking care that it’s their job to report what they believe is news worthy. My daughter and her boyfriends are not gossip, and people are going to realize this very quickly. Get home, Alastair. My daughter and grandson need you.”

The line goes dead and I am almost running for the exit.

“Dude, use your words,” Ciaran says. “Is she okay?”

I quickly explain what I know, which isn’t very much to say the least. We need to lay our eyes on them to know that they’re really alright. I expect the house to be full of family, but as long as no one is kicking us out, I’m happy to sleep on the floor.

We don’t bother renting a car at this time of night and get a ride share to Noor’s home. The lights in the yard are not from the Christmas lights she has hanging from the roof, but from the police cruisers in the yard.

Ciaran, Draven, and I get out of the car, ignoring the police to find someone we know.

“I’m sorry, sir, this isn’t a hotel. You can’t stay here. It’s a crime scene.”

“Then why are our girlfriend and our son still inside the house?” I ask coolly. “We flew in for the holidays, only to hear that they were both put in danger by an ex-convict. Do you treat all victims and their families like this?”

Jared is already crossing the yard, his footsteps eating up the distance between us.

“He has a good point. Would you like to answer it?” Jared asks.

I can see the paramedics’ rig tucked behind the cars, and I incline my head in its direction.

“They’re inside with her now,” Jared grunts. “My daughter isn’t able to answer your questions at the moment. The video feed clearly shows the struggle, and also where she came in earlier in the day. Theo already pulled the video for you. Alexa hid immediately and didn’t roam around until Isla came home.”

“There’s no sound on the video,” the officer says obstinately. “We don’t know that’s what happened.”

“Please explain the bruises on my daughter’s face and body. She was pistol whipped,” Jared says, raising his brow. “The assailant also tried to shoot my grandson. I can go on, but it’s not going to help you frame Isla for this.”

I put the pieces together as I listen, my mind reeling. Jared can’t tell the police that Alexa went to prison for killing Noor, because then he’d also have to explain why she’s alive. She needs to stay Isla permanently, especially now.

“Alexa is obsessed with us,” I offer tentatively. “Anyone close to us would have enraged her. It wouldn’t take much for her to find out we’re dating if Alexa somehow saw the photo going around of Isla with us. We’re not strangers to obsessed fans, sir.”

“It unfortunately comes with the territory as a professional athlete,” Ciaran says quietly.

Jared nods as if he approves before giving the officer a perfect mask.

“This does make more sense. I know her lawyer told me this, but they’ll say just about anything,” the officer says, shrugging.

“I’m not interested in lies,” I shrug. “However, I would like to see Isla and Zayn. I also don’t think they should sleep in this house. Her grandfather has a home nearby. None of us are planning to leave the area. We all deserve some shuteye after this.”

“I want to speak to her in the morning,” the officer says begrudgingly to Jared.

“I’ll bring her right after breakfast,” he says. I hold back my wince because the precinct will probably be a mess this close to Christmas.

Ciaran, Draven, and I move as one toward the porch steps and enter the house. There are a ton of people inside, blood all over the carpet on the stairs, but no Noor. I continue to search, and finally see her getting oxygen from the paramedics. My jaw clenches as I come closer and the paramedic looks over her shoulder.

“It’s a precaution,” she explains. “I think she’ll be fine, but would suggest that she goes to bed soon.”

“I think we’re going to be relocating, Isla,” Ignacio says, popping his head into the living room. She bobs her head, lifting her eyes toward her room.

“I’ll have Rachelle pack you a bag. Does she know where the presents are?” he asks.

Isla nods again and Ignacio leaves to grab Rachelle. Hopefully they can go upstairs using the other staircase. Ugh, this is such a mess. Isla’s cheek is swollen, but it’s not until the mask comes off that I see how bad it is.