“Hello?” I said into Melanie’s cell phone.

“Son, I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to tell you,” Melanie’s father said.

I stayed silent as he spoke.

“My girl is all I’ve got in this world. I almost lost her once, and I don’t intend to ever go through that again. Now she seems to think the world of you, and I’d like to believe that you are worthy of her. Now I’m not a big man, and my strength isn’t what it used to be, but I promise you this: if you let anything happen to Melanie, you will have to answer to me, and it won’t be pleasant.”

I nodded. “I understand, sir. You have my word that nothing will happen to Melanie as long as she is with me. I love your daughter very much, sir.”

Melanie’s father gave me a few more instructions before hanging up. I handed the phone back to Melanie who was still shaking under the blankets. Everything inside of me wanted to go out and find that asshole and kill him myself. I looked down at the beautiful woman – the woman I loved – and wondered how anyone could ever want to hurt her.

Well, it would not happen on my watch, just as I’d promised her father. Just as I would promise her. I would protect this woman and the life we were building with everything I had. I wouldn’t allow anyone to steal any more of Melanie’s future from her.

“Melanie, look at me.”

She turned her teary eyes toward me and I hooked my gaze with hers.

“He is never going to touch you again. He’ll never hurt you again. While you are with me, nothing will ever happen to you. I won’t let it,” I said.

“What if he finds me?” she asked, with a whisper.

“He won’t. Because he’ll find me first, and my face will be the last face he ever sees.”

I wanted to gather her into my arms and hold her close, but I felt like that was the last thing she needed. I heard Liam beginning to stir, and she went to move to get him off the couch. But I placed my hands on her shoulders and eased her back down underneath the covers before I handed her the glass of water.

“Finish that, but slowly. I’ll take care of the kids. Just get your feet under you and come out whenever you’re ready,” he said.

“I’m not damaged,” she said.

“No, you’re not. But you are shaken up. And it’s completely to be expected. Take your time. We’ll be out here when you’re ready.”

I went and checked on Liam on the couch before I got Hadley. She was a bit warmer than yesterday, which had me worried. She nuzzled into me and began to whimper, her lips rooting for something to drink. I placed her in her playpen with her favorite blanket before I set out to make her a bottle.

“Wanna watch a movie, Liam?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Which one?” I asked.

“Aladdin?”

I chuckled at his choice as I shook my head.

“You know we rented Beauty and the Beast, right?” I asked.

“But I want Aladdin,” he said.

“Fine. Aladdin it is. Would you like a popsicle while you watch your movie?’

“Yes, please.”

“That was very polite. Thank you, buddy,” I said.

I snipped off the top of the popsicle and handed it to him. Hadley was already curling up with her blanket and her bottle as she watched the movie come on. They would be back asleep before it was over, and rest was exactly what they needed.

Which gave me more time to make sure Melanie was all right.

I walked back into the room and I could hear her crying. She was muffling her sobs into the pillow and my heart broke for her. I couldn't imagine the nightmare she’d suffered at the hands of that asshole, and I felt the anger rise in my gut. How could a man do such a thing to any woman? I swore right then that if he came sniffing around my home, it would be the last thing he’d ever do in his miserable pathetic life.

The thought of what he had put Melanie through made me fucking sick.

I walked over silently and sat down on the edge of the bed. I rubbed my hand along her back, trying to get her to calm down without invading her space. She turned toward me and opened her arms, and I quickly slid underneath the covers with her.

We lay like that for a minute, looking into each other’s eyes. My chest ached with love for this woman. This perfect, beautiful, sweet, smart woman. I knew then that no matter what, I would never let her go. If she pushed, I’d pull. If she ran, I’d chase. I would do anything to make her see that she was worthy of the love and the life that I could give her.

She let out a shaky breath and I pushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

“What are you thinking right now?” I asked her.

“I’m thinking about running away. Far away. Packing a bag and never coming back,” she answered.

“Okay, we can do that,” I said.

She looked at me incredulously. “You would do that? You would uproot Liam and Hadley for me?”

“I would. Have you not heard anything I’ve said, Melanie? I love you. That means where you go, I go.”

She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, they were shining with unshed tears. Then she shook her head.

“No. No, I’m not running. He should run. I did nothing wrong,” she said, some strength returning to her voice.

“You are absolutely right,” I said to her. “You did nothing wrong. That fucking piece of shit animal is the one who should be afraid right now, not you.”

“I just can’t believe this is happening,” she said. “I thought when I testified at his trial, it would be the last time I would ever have to see him. Except in my nightmares.”

“It was the last time, I promise you. He won’t get near you. The article said the state and local police are both searching the mountain, and there are only so many places to hide up here. He’s going to be pretty exposed.”

“He had to have known that coming up here. He’s unhinged, which means he probably doesn’t have an endgame beyond getting to me,” she said. “That’s what really scares me, Evan. What if he comes here? What about Liam and Hadley? I would never forgive myself if anything happened to them because of me.”

I reached out and stroked her cheek. “Nothing is going to happen to them. And nothing is going to happen to you. I swear on my life, Melanie, if that sick son of a bitch shows up here, the barrel of my shotgun will be the last thing he sees in this world. I will send him straight to hell myself.”

At that moment, Hadley started to whimper from the living room. I moved to get out of the bed and Melanie sat up to follow. “Stay in here as long as you need,” I told her.

“No, I need to get up. I need to live my life. I need to stop letting him have any power over me,” she said, the spark back behind her blue eyes.

My God, that woman was amazing.

We both went into the living room and I sat on the couch with Liam while Melanie scooped Hadley up from her playpen.

“She’s pretty warm today,” Melanie said with a frown. “I’m going to go give her a lukewarm bath and some Tylenol.”

I watched as she carried the baby down the hall, cooing softly to comfort her. Liam snuggled up next to me and I draped the blanket over us both as we watched the movie. Liam started to doze at my side and I stared out the window, my senses on high alert.

Part of me thought I should close all the curtains, but another part realized that I wouldn’t be able to see anyone coming onto my property if I did that. The best thing was probably to keep the kids close by in the center room where no one looking in would see them. The last thing I needed was to give that sick fuck psycho more targets.

I picked Liam up and carried him to his room which was the first off the hallway. I put him in bed and checked that the one window in there was locked and the heavy blackout curtains were shut tight. Nothing and no one would be able to see in or get in. Next, I went out to the living room and grabbed Hadley’s pack and play. I moved it into Liam’s room so that when she was ready to go down, both kids would be in the same place, safe and sound.

Melanie came out of the bathroom with Hadley in her arms and went to dress her and give her some medicine. Once she was done, the baby was already falling asleep in her arms and so she laid her down in the playpen in Liam’s room.

The two of us went around the house, checking all windows and closing curtains into the bedrooms. I rechecked my guns and ammunition, keeping them close, but out of the reach of curious little hands.

We tried to go about the day as normally as possible, though there was no way I was leaving the cabin to go work in my shed. I would stay close to Melanie and the kids until this mess was over, one way or another.

I did the laundry while Melanie cleaned up. She made us a simple lunch, setting some aside that could be warmed up when the kids woke. Finally, we sat by the fire and watched a light snow fall outside.

“How are you?” I finally asked.

“Pissed,” she said, her arms folding across her chest.

“Good. Pissed is good.”

She turned her blue eyes on me and my heart stuttered as it usually did. “I’m scared too. And that pisses me off even more.”

I smiled and pulled her close to me. As long as we were together, everything would be alright.