Emma
*Move her before the hearing. Whatever it takes.*
The text burned across the phone screen. Nausea hit sharp and sour. My hand moved instinctively to my lower abdomen—five weeks pregnant, a terrifying consequence of Derek's final violation that I still hadn't processed. But the message was clear: Derek wasn't fighting custody in court. He was planning an abduction.
"Breathe, Em," Raven said, stepping close to block the wind. Her touch on my arm was steady, respectful.
I forced air into my lungs. "That's not legal strategy. He's sending people to take me."
"Nobody is taking you," Jake said quietly, his voice carrying lethal certainty. He kept his gaze on the street until the patrol car with Trent Ashby disappeared into traffic.
Marisol pulled her coat tight. "Ashby faces felony s
