I don’t answer right away, because the truth isn’t pretty or simple.
I have Haven 7.
I have this place.
I have a purpose that finally feels like it fits.
I don’t have a city apartment. Or a corporate job. Or a life that makes sense anywhere else.
“I have… here,” I say finally.
Silas nods slowly. “So the question is—would you leave it?”
The room goes very quiet.
Gavin watches me closely. Not angry. Not accusing. He’s protective. Like a man trying to figure out if he needs to build walls or open a gate.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
Gavin’s jaw tightens. “That’s not reassuring.”
“It’s honest,” I say. “If you want me to lie and say I’ve got it all figured out, I don’t. I just know I’m not walking away from her like she’s a temporary assignment.”
Silas tilts his head. “Would she move here?”
My chest tightens. “I don’t know that either.”
Because the truth is, Fiona doesn’t belong in a bubble. She belongs in the world. In light. In noise. In places where she can choose her own damn future. And the idea of asking her to trade that for a mountain and a security compound feels… selfish.
“I only know one thing,” I say quietly. “I care about her. A lot.”
Gavin studies my face, like he’s weighing that against a thousand worst-case scenarios. “Caring isn’t always enough,” he says.
“I know,” I answer. “But it’s not nothing.”
Silas pushes off the door. “We can argue about futures later. Right now, we’ve got a present problem.” He looks at both of us. “The threat with Marcus is real. And it just got bigger.”
My stomach sinks. “How much bigger?”
“Mark Renshaw was released on bail this morning.”
The name hits like a punch.
Gavin swears under his breath.
Silas continues, “He’s already making calls. Moving money. Pulling strings. Our sources say he’s still running the ring—just quieter.”
“And Marcus?” I ask.
“Connected,” Silas says. “Not a boss. Not muscle. More like… logistics. Middle layer. He knows routes. Safe houses. Buyers.”
My jaw clenches. “So Fiona wasn’t just unlucky,” I say. “She was close to something.”
“Close enough that they don’t want her talking,” Silas says. “Close enough that Marcus is moving and Renshaw is backing him.”
Gavin’s face goes cold. “Then we shut it down.”
“All of it,” Silas agrees. “Not just for Fiona. For everyone they’re hurting.”