The silence inside the Wolfe estate was suffocating.
Ethan motioned for Talia to move with the twins, guiding her quietly down the east hallway toward the panic room concealed behind the study bookshelf. Every sound felt amplified, the creak of the hardwood floor beneath their feet, Luna's faint whimper, the soft rustle of Zane's onesie as he turned sleepily in Talia's arms.
Elijah's voice whispered through Ethan's earpiece.
"I've sealed the exits. She's in here with at least one other. Masked, armed. They're not amateurs."
Talia stopped short. "You said one other?"
Ethan's jaw flexed. "It's Marcus Dunn. It has to be. She wouldn't come here without someone equally desperate."
They reached the study. Ethan pressed a hidden panel. The shelf groaned open to reveal a sleek steel door behind it. Talia stepped inside with the babies, and Ethan paused, brushing a kiss to her forehead.
"You lock this. Don't come out unless it's me or Elijah."
