Page 43 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

I admired her for attempting humor, but my chest ached at the dullness of her smile, and I could see the fear still lingering in her eyes. I shifted slightly, keeping my movements slow and deliberate as I let go of her hand. “I want to check your room. If he left something else behind, it could give us some answers.”

Her hand shot out, gripping my arm like a lifeline. “Don’t leave me.”

“I wasn’t going to,” I promised. “You’re coming with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we figure this out.”

She hesitated, her eyes searching mine. Whatever she saw there must have been enough, because she nodded, her grip loosening but not letting go entirely.

I helped her to her feet, keeping her hand in mine as I led her across the hall. Her steps were hesitant, and her free hand clutched her coat tightly around her like it was the only thing holding her together.

I stopped in front of the half-open door, blocking her view as I turned to face to her. “Stay behind me, okay?”

She swallowed hard but did as I asked, standing just off to the side as I pushed the door open got my first good look at the room.

The scene was worse than I’d imagined. The dumped suitcases, the ripped pages from her books, the drawers hanging open—he’d gone through everything and had made sure to leave a devastating mess in his wake.

Every part of me screamed to go find Dane, but I forced myself to keep it together, focusing on the immediate priority: her.

“Don’t touch anything,” I said over my shoulder, keeping my tone even.

She hovered in the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself. “Why would he do this?”

I still didn’t have an answer for her—not one she didn’t already know deep down. Instead, I moved slowly around the room, taking in the details. The way the papers were scattered, the way her stuff was thrown around—it was deliberate. This wasn’t some random criminal looking for something or tryingto rob her. This was a man who wanted her to feel vulnerable. Exposed.

And the letter… That was the message. As if there’d been any doubt in my mind that this was Dane, there was none of that now.

I turned back to her, the weight of her fear pressing down on me. “I’m gonna call Tommy.”

At her nod, I pulled my phone from my pocket, my thumb hovering over Tommy’s contact before I pressed it. As the line rang, I glanced back at Sofia. Her eyes darted over the room like she couldn’t stop cataloging the destruction.

“Hey,” Tommy answered, his tone concerned considering the late hour.

“We’ve got a situation at the inn,” I said, cutting to the chase.

He sucked in a breath. “What kind of situation?”

“Sofia’s room was broken into and trashed. Looks like someone wanted to send a message.”

“What kind of message?” There was a sharpness in his voice now, the protective brother coming out in full force. I could hear rustling, like he was getting up from the couch or maybe throwing on his coat.

I glanced at the crumpled letter still in my hand. “Pretty sure it was Dane. Sofia found one of the letters she wrote to him while he was in prison.”

There was a pause, long enough for me to hear the tension building on his end. “I’m on my way,” Tommy said finally. “I’ll call in the guys who are on duty tonight. Don’t touch anything.”

“We haven’t.” I shifted my gaze back to Sofia, who hadn’t moved an inch. “See you soon.”

The call ended, and I slid my phone back into my pocket. “Tommy’s coming,” I said gently. “So are some other officers to take a report. You’re not alone in this.”

She nodded stiffly.

I stepped back to her side, catching the way her fingers trembled where they clutched the hem of her coat. “Come on,” I said quietly, guiding her into the hall. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She let me lead her without a word, her steps heavy and robotic as we crossed the hall back to my room. The instant my door closed behind us, I saw her shoulders relax the tiniest bit. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

She parked herself near the door, still hugging herself, her gaze fixed on the floor like she was lost somewhere far away.

I dipped slightly to catch her eye. “Hey. Why don’t you grab a quick shower? It might help you feel a little more human after… all that. I can loan you some sweats if you want.”

She looked at me, her brow furrowing slightly. “Tommy’s on his way, right? And other officers?”

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