Hearing the name spoken aloud by an officer of the law made it real. It solidified the nightmare into concrete reality. The man who had shared my meals, who had kissed my cheek, who had sworn to protect us—was a predator.
My knees buckled. I blindly reached out, grabbing the edge of a nearby table to prevent myself from hitting the floor.
Morris stepped closer, his tone shifting to urgent professionalism. “We have enough to move forward immediately. The judge has already rubber-stamped the warrant based on the medical evidence and her recorded testimony. We have units dispatching to his office right now.”
I covered my mouth, a choked sob escaping. He was out there. If he got wind of this, if he fled…
“What if he runs?” I panicked, gripping the detective’s sleeve. “What if he comes looking for us?”
Morris looked down at me, his eyes hard as flint. “We won’t let that happen. You stay right here.”
He turned on his heel, pulling his radio from his belt as he walked quickly down the hall. I sank into a chair, pulling Hailey tight against my side. We waited. Ten minutes. Twenty. The silence stretched until it felt like a physical pressure against my eardrums. Every time a door opened down the hall, I jumped, half expecting Mark to burst through, furious and violent.
