The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 208

Chapter187:

Bella pov

Caleb got up first and lifted Tom onto his back. Tom’s arms looped around his neck. Then Caleb reached down and pulled me up, and he didn’t let go of my hand once I was standing. I didn’t want him to.

We were halfway down the corridor.

Tom had his chin hooked over Caleb’s shoulder. He watched the hallway go past with that quiet, thinking look he always got when he was learning something new.

“This is a big building,” he said.

“It is,” Caleb said.

“It smells funny, Daddy.”

“Old buildings often do.”

Tom was quiet for a minute. Then he said, “Dad?”

“Yeah.”

“I told the wall about dinosaurs,” he said. “When it got too quiet, I told it everything.” He stopped for a second. “I know a whole lot.”

“I know you do,” Caleb said. His voice sounded like it was about to break.

“Do you think walls can hear things?”

“I think if any wall was ever going to hear something, it was hearing that.”

Tom thought about this very seriously. “Good,” he said. “Then it wasn’t bad.”

He hugged Caleb’s neck tighter and tucked his face against Caleb’s head. Caleb reached up to hold Tom’s arm across his chest. I walked one step behind them, feeling a huge wave of relief. It felt like I could finally breathe again.

Tom was quiet for a minute. Then he said, “Dad?”

“Yeah.”

୮

“The man who brought me food,” he said, just like he was telling us about his day. “He said something weird.”

“What did he say?” Caleb’s voice stayed very calm.

“He said-” Tom frowned, trying to get the words exactly right. “He said the lady says your mummy should have stayed gone the first time.” He looked up at Caleb. “What does that mean? Mummy was never gone.”

The whole hallway went completely still.

I stopped walking.

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Chapter 187

Should have stayed gone the first time

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There was only one person alive who would say it like that. Only one person who wanted me to stay gone when I left three years ago. Only one person who still thought that night-the rain, the suitcase, the back exit-should have been forever.

“Bella,” Caleb said quietly.

“I heard him,” I said.

Tom looked between us, reading our faces. “Was that important?”

“Yes,” I said. “You did a really good job telling us that.”

He nodded, happy with my answer, and put his head back on Caleb’s shoulder.

Then Torres appeared from the stairs. His face was tight in a way it hadn’t been during the operation.

“Reyes,” he said. “The unit leader. He’s not in custody.”

Reyes turned. “What?”

“Ground floor sweep found his vest and earpiece. He went out the east drain exit before we closed it. We have a description going out but” Torres glanced at me briefly, then back at Reyes. “He made a call before he ran. Thirty seconds, outbound. We don’t have the number yet.”

Reyes looked at me.

I thought about the Malta shell company. The professional network, the two previous kidnappings in Eastern Europe.

I thought about what Diana had said at midnight: Someone local who knew where to shop.

Someone had hired these people. Someone had known Tom’s school schedule, the camera blind spot, the timing of pickup. Someone had known enough about our security arrangements to plan around them.

The leader had called someone when he ran. Someone who was waiting.

Tom tightened his arms around Caleb’s neck, his face turned into Caleb’s shoulder, finally allowing himself to be small and tired and five years old.

ľ

Caleb looked at me over Tom’s head, and I saw the same thing in his eyes that I felt in my chest-the relief, whole and complete, that our son was breathing and home, layered over the cold knowledge that this wasn’t finished.

“Jade,” I said quietly.

Caleb looked at me. “How are you sure?”

“Should have stayed gone the first time,” I said. “That’s not the way a professional talks. That’s personal. That’s someone who has been angry about me coming back for years and finally decided to do something

about it.”

I stopped for a second. “And whoever hired these people knew Tom’s school schedule, the camera blind spot, and the exact time of pickup. That’s not just research. That’s someone who has been watching us

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Chapter 187

from up close for months. Who else has that kind of access and a reason to hate me that much?”

Caleb looked at me for a long moment. His jaw tightened. Then he turned to Reyes. “It’s Jade Hart,”

Caleb’s hand tightened on mine, “How long ago was the call?” he asked Torres.

“Twelve minutes. Maybe thirteen

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