Chapter 61 Processing
Rowan
I watch her walk down the hallway on the monitor like I’m watching a decision being made.
She doesn’t rush. Doesn’t hesitate either. Just steady steps, shoulders squared, chin lifted like she’s bracing for something that hasn’t happened yet. The guest bedroom door opens. Closes.
The camera catches the exact moment she exhales.
I shouldn’t do this.
I know that.
I told her there were no cameras in the bedrooms.
That part was true once.
It isn’t now.
I switch feeds anyway.
The room fills the screen. Soft lighting. Neutral tones. She crosses to the bed, sets her phone on the nightstand, then sits. For a second she just stares at the floor, fingers twisting together in her lap. Not anxious. Thinking. Processing.
Always processing.
She kicks off her shoes, moves with quiet efficiency, then climbs into bed and pulls the blanket up to her chest like it’s instinct. Like she’s been doing this alone for a long time.
My jaw tightens.
I lean back in the chair, hands clasped together, eyes fixed on the screen.
This isn’t about desire.
That’s the lie I tell myself first.
It’s about certainty.
About recognition.
About the way something in my chest locks into place with a dull, heavy click the moment I see her safe, contained, exactly where I put her.
Mine.
The word doesn’t scare me.
It settles me.
She reaches for the phone I gave her, the new one, the one with her name on it. Her thumb scrolls. Pauses. She reads something. Her mouth curves just slightly, not quite a smile.
Something in my gut snaps.
Not violently.
Cleanly.
Like a switch flipping.
There’s no fighting this anymore.
No pretending it’s situational. No dressing it up as concern or logistics or professional obligation. I’ve built empires on control and foresight and contingency, and Violet fits into my world with a precision that borders on obscene.
She doesn’t just belong here.
She belongs with me.
And I’ll be damned if another man ever gets close enough to touch her. To sit across from her and think he deserves her time. To look at her and imagine a future where I’m not standing in the frame.
That won’t happen.
I don’t know how yet. I don’t need to.
I’ll make sure I’m the only option left when she finally stops running. When the world strips away everything else she leans on and she realizes what I already know.
She’ll tell me no.
Once. Twice. A dozen times.
Violet is stubborn. Principled. Terrified of losing herself.
That’s fine.
No doesn’t scare me.
No is just a delay.
I watch her roll onto her side, curl slightly inward, phone still in her hand. Her breathing slows. Evens out.
Good.
I notice movement on another monitor.
The exterior camera. Headlights pulling into the drive.
Theo. Devin. Security.
I straighten immediately and cut the feed.
All bedroom feeds. Off.
Not because I feel guilty.
Because Camille would notice.
And that would be a problem I don’t need tonight.
The door to the security room opens and the noise of other people fills the space. Theo drops into the chair beside me without preamble, jacket half off, expression sharp.
“Both girls are settled,” he says. “Camille’s with Violet.”
Good.
Devin takes the opposite seat, already pulling files from his briefcase. “We need to assume escalation,” he says calmly. “Calder won’t stop because he’s exposed. He’ll stop because he’s restrained.”
Theo snorts. “Or dead.”
I don’t react.
“We do this clean,” I say. “No mistakes. No leaks.”
Theo glances at me sideways. “You good?”
I nod once. “Focus.”
He raises an eyebrow but lets it go.
I pull up a map of the surrounding area, zooming in on the perimeter. “This ends now. No more half-measures.”
Theo stiffens. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” I say evenly, “until this is over, they stay here.”
Theo spins on me. “Absolutely not.”
Devin looks between us. “Actually,” he says slowly, “that might be the smartest option.”
Theo glares at him. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not,” Devin replies. “Rowan’s house isn’t just secure, it’s fortified. Redundant systems, private security, controlled access points. No blind spots. No easy approaches.”
I don’t interrupt.
Devin continues, “If someone comes knocking, they won’t get past the gate. And if they do—” his eyes flick to me “—Rowan handles it.”
Theo scoffs. “You say that like it’s comforting.”
“It should be,” Devin says. “Because it’s true.”
Theo turns back to me. “You didn’t even ask.”
“I wasn’t going to,” I say.
“They’re not prisoners,” he snaps.
“No,” I agree. “They’re protected.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It is when someone is actively targeting them.”
Theo opens his mouth, then closes it. “Violet won’t like this.”
“I know.”
“And Camille—”
“I know.”
Devin folds his hands. “They don’t have to like it. They have to survive it.”
Silence stretches.
Theo looks torn, jaw working like he’s chewing on something bitter. “If they stay,” he says finally, “then I stay.”
I don’t blink. “Of course you do.”
“With Camille,” he adds quickly. “I’m not leaving her.”
“You won’t,” I say. “Your room’s already prepared.”
That makes him pause.
“…You planned this.”
“I plan everything.”
Theo exhales sharply, then shakes his head. “I hate when you’re right.”
Devin stands, pacing slowly. “Security rotations will need adjusting. Internal patrols, external sweeps, staggered timing. No routines.”
“Already in motion,” I say.
“And transportation?” Devin asks.
“No solo travel,” I reply. “Ever. Not until Calder is neutralized.”
Theo grimaces. “She’s going to fight you on that.”
“She can fight me later,” I say. “Right now, she’s alive.”
Devin stops pacing and looks at me. “You’re not wrong.”
I glance at him. “You’re welcome to stay.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I was planning to go home.”
“You’re not,” I say flatly.
He studies my face for a long moment, then sighs. “Yeah. I figured.”
Theo lets out a humorless laugh. “Three men hiding out in a billionaire bunker.”
“This isn’t hiding,” I say. “It’s containment.”
Theo looks at me again, searching. “You’re serious about this.”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything.”
Another silence.
He nods once. “Okay. Then we do it your way.”
I turn back to the monitors, bringing up exterior feeds, street views, neighboring properties.
“This ends with Calder,” I say quietly. “One way or another.”
Theo mutters, “Jesus.”
Devin doesn’t.
He just says, “Then let’s make sure no one touches them again.”