Chapter 3 - THE GATE
Ryan ran down the driveway in his socks. "That house has private security. They'll call the cops."
"They know who I am."
I pressed my thumb to the biometric panel. A green light blinked. The gates swung apart with a low metallic hum.
Ryan stopped in the middle of the road. Vivian stood behind him in the rain, clutching the cardigan she'd been too comfortable to put on inside.
"How do you have access?" he asked.
"I own it."
He gave a sharp laugh. "No, you don't."
"My grandfather left the property in a family trust before we married. The renovation finished last spring. Every mortgage statement, tax filing, and ownership document is in order."
"You told me that place belonged to investors."
"You told me you didn't care about my family's paperwork. So I stopped explaining it."
His eyes moved from the gates to the long stone driveway. "With what money?"
"Money I had before you, Ryan. And money I earned."
"From what? Those vague government trips?"
I drew a leather identification wallet from my bag. He had always been proud of never asking questions about my work. He called me his quiet little bureaucrat.
I held up the identification.
UNITED STATES ARMY.
COLONEL CLAIRE BENNETT.
For the first time that afternoon, he couldn't find a joke.
"Eighteen years of service," I said. "I told you I worked in defense. You never once asked what I actually did."
Vivian's face drained. "You're lying."
"You can tell my attorney that."
Ryan took a step toward the gate. "Claire, we need to talk."
"We will. Through attorneys."
I walked inside with my children and my mother. The gates started closing. Ryan caught one bar before the motor stopped automatically, then released it as an alarm sounded.
"You're divorcing me?" he shouted.
"I'm making sure you can't hurt them again."
When the gates met, Oliver finally loosened his grip on my sleeve.
May you like
A uniformed private security supervisor named Leah Ortiz was waiting by the front steps. She handed me an envelope she had kept sealed.
"Colonel," Leah said quietly, "we need to discuss the person who tried to enter this property while you were gone."
