Chapter 4

Daisy's POV**

I stared at my phone, hands shaking so badly I nearly dropped it.

"I know who you are, Daisy Macklin. And I'm coming for you."

The voice had been distorted, mechanically . But the threat was real. Very real.

I should call my father. Should call the police. Should do something other than stand frozen in my living room like an idiot.

Instead, I called Killian.

He answered on the first ring. "Miss me already?"

"Someone just called me." My voice cracked. "They said they know who I am. That they're coming for me."

Silence. Then his tone shifted completely—no more teasing, just cold efficiency. "Did you recognize the voice?"

"No. It was distorted. Mechanical."

"What number did they call from?"

I checked my recent calls. "Unknown."

"Fuck. Okay, listen to me carefully. Lock your door. All the locks. Don't open it for anyone except me. I'm coming over right now."

"You just left”

"I'm in the parking garage. I'll be there in two minutes. Stay on the phone with me."

I rushed to the door and threw all three locks, my heart hammering. "Okay. I'm locked in."

"Good. Now go to your bedroom and grab whatever you'd need if you had to leave quickly. Laptop, phone charger, important documents. Just in case."

"In case of what?"

"In case we need to move you to a secure location. Two minutes, Daisy. Keep talking to me."

I stumbled toward my bedroom, grabbing my laptop bag with shaking hands. "This is insane. Yesterday I was just a writer. Now someone's threatening to…”

"Don't think about that. Focus on packing. What else do you need?"

"I don't know! My medication, I guess. Some clothes”

"We can get clothes later. Medication is important. What else?"

I grabbed my prescriptions from the bathroom. "That's it. That's all I can think of."

"Perfect. I'm at your door now."

Three sharp knocks. "It's me."

I ran to the door and peered through the peephole. Killian stood there, and he wasn't alone. Another man massive, bald, covered in scars stood behind him.

I unlocked the door and Killian pushed inside immediately, his eyes scanning my apartment like he expected someone to jump out.

"Clear," the other man said after checking my bedroom and bathroom.

"Thanks, Viktor." Killian turned to me. "This is Viktor Petrov. He works for my company. He's going to sweep your apartment for bugs and cameras while we talk."

"Bugs? You think someone's been in here?"

"I think we don't take chances." He guided me to the couch, his hand on my lower back surprisingly gentle. "Tell me exactly what happened. Every detail."

I recounted the phone call, my voice steadier now that he was here. Which was stupid. I barely knew this man. But somehow his presence made me feel safer.

When I finished, Killian pulled out his phone. "I'm going to trace that call. It'll take a few minutes." He glanced at Viktor. "Anything?"

"Clean so far. But I'll do a full sweep."

Killian sat down next to me, closer than necessary. "How long have you been getting threats?"

"I haven't. This was the first one."

"Your father said your sister was attacked last week. Did she receive any threats before that?"

"I don't know. We're not that close. Dad handles most of the communication between us."

He studied my face. "You don't talk to your sister?"

"It's complicated. Our family is complicated." I hugged my laptop bag to my chest. "Can we not psychoanalyze my family issues right now?"

"Fair enough." His phone buzzed. He checked it and cursed. "The call came from a burner phone. Untraceable."

"So we have nothing."

"We have the voice recording if your phone saved it. And we have timing. Someone knew to call you right after I left." His jaw tightened. "Which means they were watching your apartment."

My stomach dropped. "Watching?"

"Apartment's clean," Viktor announced, returning from my bedroom. "No cameras, no listening devices, no signs of forced entry."

"Check the windows. All of them."

Viktor nodded and disappeared again.

Killian turned back to me. "I need you to think. Has anyone been acting strange around you lately? Following you? Showing up unexpectedly?"

I thought about Jordan's frequent visits. About Genesis's interview attacks. About the neighbor across the street who'd been texting me.

Wait.

"You," I said slowly. "You've been texting me. Watching me through my window. How do I know you're not”

"Seriously?" He looked almost offended. "You think I'd threaten you after your father hired me to protect you? That's a terrible business strategy."

"Maybe that's your cover. Get hired as my bodyguard so you can get close”

He leaned in, cutting off my words. "Daisy, if I wanted to hurt you, I had plenty of opportunities yesterday morning when you were distracted. I didn't. I won't." His voice dropped lower. "What I want to do to you has nothing to do with pain."

Heat flooded through me despite everything.

"The window in the bedroom has a faulty lock," Viktor called out. "Easy entry point."

Killian stood immediately. "Show me."

I followed them to my bedroom where Viktor was examining my window. The lock looked fine to me, but when Viktor jiggled it, it popped open easily.

"This has been tampered with," Viktor said. "Recently. See these scratches? Someone forced it."

My blood went cold. "Someone's been in my apartment?"

"Likely. Can't say when." Viktor looked at Killian. "We should check for missing items. And she can't stay here until we upgrade security."

"Agreed." Killian turned to me. "Pack a bag. You're staying somewhere else tonight."

"Where?"

"I have a secure apartment across town. Three bedrooms, full security system, completely off-grid."

"I'm not staying with you."

"You're not staying here with a compromised window and an active threat." His tone left no room for argument. "Pack enough for three days. Viktor will install new locks and a full security system while we're gone."

"This is insane”

"This is protocol. Someone has been in your apartment, Daisy. Someone called to threaten you. Someone attacked your sister. This isn't a game."

He was right. I hated it, but he was right.

I grabbed a duffel bag and started throwing clothes into it. "What about my writing? I have a deadline”

"Bring your laptop. You can write anywhere."

"What about my book events? I have a signing on Thursday”

"We'll discuss it. Right now, we focus on keeping you alive."

The bluntness of it made my hands still. Keeping me alive. Like I was actually in that much danger.

Twenty minutes later, I was packed. Viktor had already started installing new window locks, and Killian was on his phone coordinating something with his office.

"Ready?" he asked when he saw me with my bag.

"Not even a little bit."

"Too bad." He took my bag and headed for the door. "Let's go."

I followed him down to the parking garage where a black SUV waited. He put my bag in the back and opened the passenger door.

"Get in."

I climbed in, and he shut the door firmly before walking around to the driver's side.

As we pulled out of the garage, I looked back at my apartment building. My safe, quiet, anonymous life was disappearing in the rearview mirror.

"How long do I have to stay in this secure apartment?" I asked.

"Until we catch whoever threatened you. Could be a few days. Could be longer."

"And you'll be there the whole time?"

"Every second." He glanced at me. "Try not to sound so disappointed."

"I'm not disappointed. I'm terrified."

"Good. Fear keeps you alert." He merged onto the highway. "Just so we're clear my apartment has two bedrooms. You get one. I get the other. There's also a pull-out couch if you'd prefer I sleep there."

"The couch is fine."

"Figured you'd say that." He smirked. "Though the offer stands if you change your mind."

"I won't."

"We'll see."

We drove in silence for a while before my phone buzzed. Text from Jordan.

**Jordan: Hey! Want to grab coffee later? Haven't seen you in a few days.**

I showed Killian the text. "My friend Jordan. We usually meet up once a week."

Killian's expression darkened. "Tell him you're busy."

"Why?"

"Because until we know who's threatening you, everyone's a suspect. Even your friends."

"Jordan would never…”

"Daisy, your sister was attacked by people who knew exactly who she was. That information came from somewhere. Someone close to your family."

The implication made my stomach turn. "Jordan's been my best friend since college."

"Which makes him the perfect person to get close to you without raising suspicion." Killian's voice was hard. "I'm not saying he's guilty. I'm saying we can't rule anyone out yet."

I wanted to argue. But I couldn't.

I texted Jordan back.

Me: Swamped with deadline stuff. Rain check?

Jordan: Of course! Let me know when you're free. Miss you.

I put my phone away and stared out the window.

Killian's phone rang through the car's Bluetooth. Viktor's voice filled the speakers.

"We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"I found something in her apartment. Hidden behind the bathroom mirror."

My blood went cold. "What did you find?"

Viktor's pause lasted too long. "A camera. And it's been recording for at least two weeks."