Page 248 of Blackwood

“I thought he was just a creep,” I whisper. “Just some sadistic loser who got off on writing poems and watching from the dark. But this?” I run my hands through my hair. “This means he was here.He was inside our house.”

Cade stands, quiet and slow, like every muscle is stiff with dread.

“We baited him,” his voice is raw. “All those messages… we thought we were outsmarting him. But we gave him what he wanted.”

Lex punches the wall, fist going straight through the drywall with a deafening crack. Plaster dust rains down, clinging to his skin, mixing with the blood already welling from his knuckles.

Knox looks up from the tangle of gear on the floor, his eyes sharp and haunted.

“Alright,” he says quietly. “This is what we’re gonna do.”

He stands and wipes his hands on his jeans. “I’m going to sweep every inch of this place,” he says, already scanning the room like he’s mapping exits. “Then Rosethorne. Then The Pit and every other building tied to your names.”

He looks up, jaw tight. “But I want the three of you out of here. Now.”

His voice softens, but only barely. “Somewhere safe. Somewhere you choose. No routines. No patterns. No one else knowing.” He pauses, meeting each of our eyes in turn. “Not even me.”

Lex shakes his head. “We can’t just run.”

“Yes, you can,” Knox snaps, louder than before. “You’re not thinking straight.”

Knox rubs the back of his neck. “This isn’t some Instagram creep in a basement anymore, Lex.”

He points toward the bathroom. “He watched you. In the shower. He got close enough to plant a camera in your goddamn bathroom and none of us knew.”

Knox’s eyes narrow, voice dropping to a low, grim edge. “That means he’s either a ghost…” he looks straight at me, “…or someone you’ve already let in.”

My mouth goes dry. “Knox, you said you’re checking Rosethorne?”

“Yeah, there, The Pit, anywhere I can fucking think of at this point.”

“The Masquerade. Maybe… maybe we should cancel.” I say softly.

“No fucking way.” Lex’s voice snaps through the room like a strike of lightning. “We’re not canceling. You girls have been working your asses off for this. You’ve been prepping since summer for it. I’m not letting that fucker take it from you, not a chance.”

Knox drags a hand down his face, exhaling hard. “Lex is right, the Masquerade’s weeks away. We’ve got time to figure this out, lock the systems, and trace every feed. But right now,” he gestures toward me. “Right now, we keep her breathing and we keep her hidden until I know how deep this goes.”

“Between all of our connections, we can keep you safe, baby,” Lex’s jaw flexes. “I’ll call Jack. I’ll call in the Bratva if I have to. Hell, I’ll even call Tattooed Dragon-Dick to come stand watch at the goddamn door.”

Cade lets out a soft breath, somewhere between a chuckle and a wince.

I nod. “Let me make a call, I think I have a place we can go.”

♥♥♥

NOX

We walk into the presidential suite at NOX, and I swear my jaw hits the floor. It’s massive. Bigger than our apartment. Hell, bigger than most houses.Dark wood floors stretch beneath soaring ceilings. Floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city, glittering like a spilled bottle of diamonds. There’s a sleek fireplace, a marble bar with crystal decanters, velvet seating, and a king-size bed so grand it looks like royalty should sleep in it.

And the bathroom? I catch a glimpse through a cracked door. Black stone, gold fixtures, and a tub big enough to swim laps in.

Roman steps in behind us, motioning around with a casual wave of his hand.

“Make yourselves comfortable. This suite is yours for as long as you need it.”

I turn toward him, softening my voice. “We really appreciate you letting us stay here.”

He gives a small nod, eyes scanning the room like he’s assessing a chessboard. “Anything for you, Isabella.NOX is yours anyway, same as The Obsidian.”