Chapter 3 - The Ghost From Six Years Ago
"Stay in the car," Marcus ordered, drawing his weapon.
"No," Ethan growled, forcing the door open despite my desperate attempts to hold him back. The billionaire who had been on his deathbed two hours ago was suddenly running on pure, primal fatherly instinct. He pulled a spare weapon from Marcus's tactical vest and stumbled out into the damp Seattle air.
I scrambled out after them, my heart in my throat. We approached the black sedan cautiously, but it was empty. The front door to my apartment building was splintered, the lock completely destroyed. Pure terror seized my chest. I ran past the two armed men, sprinting up the stairs to the second floor.
"Kate!" I screamed, bursting into my apartment.
The living room was a disaster. Bookshelves were overturned, and the coffee table was smashed. Kate was sitting on the floor, clutching her head, trembling violently but alive.
"Claire," Kate sobbed, looking up at me. "Two men. They broke in. They were looking for you."
"Where is Mia?" I demanded, dropping to my knees and shaking her shoulders. "Kate, where is my baby?"
"She hid," Kate whispered, her eyes wide with lingering terror. "Like we practiced for the bad weather drills. She went into the secret place."
I sprang up and ran down the hallway to Mia's bedroom. Ethan was right behind me, his heavy breathing filling the narrow space. I threw open the closet door, pushed aside the hanging coats, and pulled back the false wooden panel at the back.
Curled into a tiny ball, clutching a worn stuffed horse, was my beautiful six year old girl. Her large brown eyes were wide with fear, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks.
"Mommy," she whimpered, reaching her little arms out to me.
I pulled her out, holding her so tightly I thought I might crush her. I buried my face in her hair, sobbing uncontrollably. We were safe. She was safe.
Then Mia looked over my shoulder. She stopped crying, her gaze fixing on the tall, bleeding man standing in the doorway. Ethan stood frozen, the gun hanging loosely in his hand, his eyes locked on the little girl he never knew existed. His tough, impenetrable billionaire exterior crumbled instantly. A single tear tracked down his dirt stained cheek.
"Hi," Mia said softly, her innocent voice cutting through the heavy tension in the room. "You are bleeding. My mommy is a doctor. She can fix you."
Ethan fell to his knees right there in the doorway. He reached out a trembling hand, stopping just inches from her face, too afraid to touch her, as if she were an illusion that might vanish. "I know," he choked out, his voice breaking completely. "Your mommy is the bravest person I know. And you are the most beautiful."
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Marcus appeared in the hallway, his face grim. "Boss, the men who broke in are dead in the alley. My backup took them out, but this location is burned. The entire syndicate knows she exists now. We have to go to the Island."
Ethan nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off Mia. He looked at me, a fierce, unbreakable vow burning in his gaze. "I ran away to protect you once, Claire. I will never run again. I am going to tear down the world to keep the two of you safe."
