Chapter 1 - The Sanctuary
The black SUV tore through the freezing Baltimore night, leaving the shattered pieces of Mara’s old life behind in the rearview mirror.
She sat in the passenger seat, wrapped tightly in Adrian’s heavy charcoal coat, the scent of cedar and cold winter air grounding her scattered senses.
Adrian drove in absolute silence, his large hands gripping the steering wheel with a white-knuckled intensity that both terrified and comforted her.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the broken bedroom mirror and the leather belt suspended in Blake’s hand.
A violent shudder ripped through her body, causing her to instinctively curl her arms protectively over her slightly rounded stomach.
Adrian’s gaze flicked toward her, the emptiness in his gray eyes softening into something fiercely protective.
He reached across the console, not to touch her, but to turn up the heat in the vehicle until warm air flooded the cabin.
“We are almost there,” he said, his voice a low, steady rumble that vibrated over the hum of the engine.
Mara swallowed hard, her throat raw from holding back tears for two agonizing years.
“Where are you taking me?” she whispered, half-expecting to be reprimanded for asking questions.
“To a place where Blake Cavanaugh will never be able to reach you,” Adrian replied without hesitation.
They passed through a set of imposing wrought-iron gates that opened automatically, revealing a sprawling stone estate hidden deep within the Maryland woods.
Armed men patrolled the perimeter, their dark figures blending seamlessly into the shadows of the towering pine trees.
Adrian parked the vehicle and was out of his door in a second, rounding the hood to open hers before she could even reach for the handle.
He scooped her into his arms effortlessly, ignoring her weak protests that she could walk on her own.
“You have survived enough for one day, Mara,” he told her as he carried her up the stone steps.
Inside the grand foyer, a silver-haired woman in medical scrubs was already waiting with a blood pressure cuff and a gentle smile.
Adrian did not set Mara down until they were in a warm, dimly lit bedroom, placing her onto a massive four-poster bed.
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“Dr. Evans is going to check on the baby, and I will be standing right outside this door,” Adrian promised, stepping back to give her space.
For the first time in two years, Mara realized she could finally close her eyes without fearing what would happen when she opened them.
