Page 6 of Beyond Protection
"You trust me?"
"Yeah."
"Then trust this."
I nodded. Picked up my fork. Took a bite of pie, but couldn't taste it.
Across the table, Claire was watching again. This time when our eyes met, I let her see it—the fear I'd been hiding. The exhaustion. The weight of being watched for eighteen months without knowing.
She set down her fork. "Cormac. Would you help me with something in the kitchen?"
It wasn't a question.
I followed her.
The kitchen was empty. Dishes soaking in the sink and the counter cleared except for coffee grounds and a half-empty pie tin. She turned to face me.
"Tell me," she said.
"Tell you what?"
"What's wrong. What's been wrong since you walked in? Don't lie to me."
I could've deflected. Could've said it was nothing, that I was fine, and that she was reading too much into exhaustion and off-season adjustment.
But this was my mother. And I was already tired of lying.
"Someone's been following me," I said. "For eighteen months. Taking pictures. Documenting. Sending messages about how I'm deteriorating and need intervention. And they're here. Tonight. Outside."
Her face froze like porcelain.
"Does Michael know?"
"Yeah. He's bringing in someone. A security consultant."
She nodded once. "Good. That's good." Then: "Are you safe right now?"
"I think so. Michael checked. There's a car outside, but they haven't approached. Haven't done anything except watch and send messages."
"Yet."
"Yet."
She moved to the window. Didn't touch the curtain. She angled herself to see out. "Gray sedan. Two houses down."
"You see it?"
"I see everything, Cormac. I just don't always say." She turned back. "You're staying here tonight. The guest room's ready. Understood? I won't allow you to go back to that empty condo where you're alone."
"Mom—"
"Understood?"
I understood. My mother didn't push often. When she did, I listened.
"Yeah. Understood."
She came closer. Took my face in her hands. "You're not alone in this. Whatever happens, you have family. You have your aunt and your cousins. You have me. You don't have to carry this by yourself."
