*Chloe*

I froze like a statue at the sound of the gunshot. I knew I should have done something, almost anything else. The deafening crack of gunfire, however, cemented in my mind the very real danger I’d been facing since the beginning of Sylvia’s potential kidnapping.

Alex didn’t freeze. He moved instantly with a grace that belied his bulk. Alex tackled me to the porch, covering my body with his own.

“Stay down, Chloe,” he cried, tensing as if ...