Chapter 78 Keeper

• The safehouse hums low behind the closed door — the old hinges squeaking when Knox kicks it shut with the heel of his boot, Ellerei tucked tight against his chest like he’d tear the whole world apart before he’d set her down again.
• He doesn’t.
• Not even when he reaches the bed — the old mattress squealing under his weight as he shifts back against the headboard, knees braced wide so she stays cradled right where she belongs.