LOGINVeronica's POVThe gunshots grew louder and closer and my body moved before my mind could process fear. I grabbed Monte from Four's arms and dropped into a crouch in the corner farthest from the door. My son was awake now and his eyes were wide with terror that no five year old should ever experience."Mama, what is happening?""Shh, baby. Stay quiet for me. Can you do that?"He nodded but his whole body trembled against mine. I wrapped myself around him like a shield and felt my heart hammer so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.Four positioned himself at the door with his gun drawn. He had insisted on carrying despite hospital rules and now I understood why. The man I married had lived in worlds where violence was currency and survival was earned through preparation.Manuel's voice cut through the chaos. "Three hostiles plus Volkov. They are coming from the east corridor. Fall back to defensive positions."Gunfire erupted in the hallway. Sharp cracks that made Monte flin
Four's POVEvery instinct I had honed over decades screamed danger when Veronica pointed out the man in the blue jacket. I watched him through my peripheral vision and catalogued everything. The way he stood. The confidence in his posture. The calculating assessment in his eyes as they tracked my movements.This was not random.Manuel's security team moved into position with practised efficiency. They were professionals and their approach was subtle enough not to cause panic in the waiting room. But the man noticed. Of course, he noticed. He was a professional too.He stood and walked toward the exit. Not running. Not hurried. Just purposeful and controlled movement that told me everything I needed to know.He was surveilling us and we had just blown his cover.One of Manuel's men followed. The other stayed with us. I pulled Veronica closer and felt her heart racing against my side."Is Monte safe?" she whispered."He will be. I promise."My phone buzzed. Text from Manuel's team. Subj
Veronica's POVI stood in our bedroom packing Monte's clothes into a suitcase and felt rage burn through my chest. Four wanted to send us away like fragile things that needed storing in a safe place while men handled dangerous business.I was done being the protected damsel."We need to talk," I said when Four walked in. My voice was steady and cold. "If you try to send me away for my safety, I will fight you every step of the way.""Veronica, we already discussed this.""No. You decided. I disagreed. That is not a discussion." I turned to face him. "We are married. We are partners. I will not let you martyr yourself while Monte and I hide somewhere pretending everything is fine."Four crossed his arms. "Your safety and Monte's are my top priorities. That is not negotiable.""And your safety is mine. Also not negotiable." I moved closer. "You think I can function knowing someone is trying to kill you? That every phone call might be Manuel telling me you are dead? How is that protectin
Manuel's POVI sat in Four's security office staring at the phone number Margaret had given me. Unknown caller. Professional tone. Questions designed to extract information about Four's daily routines.This was reconnaissance. Someone was planning something.My shoulder still ached from the gunshot wound but my mind was sharp. I had spent twenty years protecting Four and I knew threat assessment better than most people knew their own names. This call was not random. It was deliberate and calculated.I called a contact at the phone company. Alex owed me favours from years back when I helped his sister disappear from an abusive ex-husband. He pulled records within an hour."The number belongs to a burner phone. Purchased with cash three days ago at a convenience store in Newark. No surveillance footage that far back. Dead end."I tha
Margaret's POVThe physical therapist pushed my shoulder back and I bit down hard to keep from crying out. Three months since that Moretti nurse shot me and my body still screamed in protest at every movement."You are doing great, Mrs Chen. Another week and we can increase the weight training."Great felt like an exaggeration. I could barely lift my arm above my head. But I smiled and nodded because complaining never fixed anything.Four visited that afternoon like he did every Tuesday and Thursday. He brought flowers, which made me uncomfortable because I was staff, not family. But he insisted."How are you feeling?""Better. The therapist says I am progressing well."Four sat in the chair beside my hospital bed. He looked tired. The trial had taken everything out of him. "Margaret, I need to say something. Y
Detective Rivera's POVI walked into the federal courthouse carrying three boxes of evidence and a determination to end this nightmare once and for all. The case against Vincent Carver and Gregory St. James was the most important of my career. Not because it was high-profile, though media vans lined the street outside. But it would finally give Four Winter and his family the peace they deserved.The courtroom was packed. Reporters filled the gallery. Sketch artists positioned themselves for the best angles. I spotted Veronica sitting in the front row behind the prosecution table. She wore a simple navy dress and held Four's hand. He looked better than he had in weeks. Manuel's recovery had given him hope.The judge entered and we all stood. Judge Patricia Chen, no relation to the suspended prosecutor, had a reputation for running tight courtrooms and handing down harsh sentences. Perfect for w
Detective Rivera's POVI sat in the interrogation room reviewing Linda Martinez's confession for the third time. The mysterious M kept circling in my mind like a vulture waiting to strike.Mia Castellano was already in custody.
Thomas's POVI stood outside Veronica's therapy office and heard enough through the barely closed door to understand what she had uncovered. Someone close had betrayed her to Jason. Someone who knew her routines and schedule and life.
Veronica's POVThe glass jar slipped from my hands and shattered across the kitchen floor. I stood frozen, staring at the broken pieces scattered like shrapnel. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would break through my ribs."Veronica?" Four appeared in the doorway. "Are you okay?"I could not a
Beverly's POVI watched my daughter laugh at something Four said across the breakfast table and felt my chest tighten with a mother's protective instinct. Veronica looked radiant in the morning light streaming through the kitchen windows. Happy in a way I had not seen in years.Four reached over a







