Chapter 40: The Price of Silence 

I slammed the door behind me, my heart racing. Reid’s panicked cries echoed in my ears as I pressed my back against the wall, trying to steady my breathing.  

“Where is Alex?” I whispered under my breath, scanning the room. The safehouse had never felt smaller, its walls closing in on me. Every creak, every shadow felt like a threat.  

“Mum?” Reid’s voice wavered from the corner of the room. His little hands clutched Precious’s sleeve as she crouched beside him, trying to keep him calm.  

I forced a smile, though my chest felt like it was caving in. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I said,...