Page 23 of Sanctuary

I frowned, glancing at my watch. It was almost 10 AM. “That was hours ago. You don’t think...”

Before I could finish the thought, the kitchen door swung open. Mia walked in, her face flushed from exertion, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She was wearing tight workout leggings and a tank top that clung to her curves in a way that made my mouth go dry.

“Morning boys,” she said cheerfully, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. “Not at all. We were just talking about yesterday’s excitement.”

Mia’s smile faltered for a moment, her eyes darting between Rory and me. “Right. That.” She took a long swig from her water bottle, buying herself a moment. “I suppose we should probably take a look at that USB drive, huh?”

I nodded, pushing back from the table. “That’s what I was thinking. You up for it now?”

She hesitated, then squared her shoulders. “No time like the present, I guess. Let me grab a quick shower first?”

“Of course,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “Meet you in the study in thirty?”

Mia nodded and slipped out of the kitchen. As soon as she was gone, Rory leaned in close.

“Connor, be careful,” he murmured. “Whatever’s on that drive... it’s big enough that people are willing to kill for it. Are you sure you want to get mixed up in this?”

I met his gaze steadily. “A bit late for that, don’t you think? I still have to marry her.”

Rory sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Just... watch your back, alright? And hers.”

Thirty minutes later, I was pacing the study, when Mia finally appeared in the doorway, her hair still damp from the shower. I felt a knot of tension in my chest loosen slightly, she smelled so good that I was tempted to sit her on my lap, but instead I pulled up another chair and motioned for her to take it.

“Got the USB?” I asked.

Mia sat down, took a deep breath, then nodded. “Right here.”

I plugged the drive into my laptop, and we both leaned in close as the contents began to load. A single folder appeared on the screen, labeled simply “EVIDENCE.”

My finger hovered over the trackpad. “Here goes nothing,” I muttered, and double-clicked.

The folder opened to reveal dozens of files.

“Oh my God,” Mia whispered, her face pale. “Connor, do you know what this is?”

“It’s… it’s movies?! Who the hell would be after you for bootlegged copies of movies?”

Mia let out a nervous laugh, the sound high and brittle in the quiet study. “I can’t believe it. All this time, all this danger... over some pirated movies?” She shook her head, a hysterical edge creeping into her voice. “Cookie, you idiot.”

I frowned, scrolling through the files. Action movies, rom-coms, even a few animated features - it was an eclectic mix, but nothing that warranted the kind of pursuit we’d experienced. “Mia, this doesn’t make any sense. Your brother thought these were worth killing for?”

She rubbed her temples, her shoulders shaking with barely suppressed laughter. “You didn’t know Cookie. He... he wasn’t all there, you know? He probably thought the FBI was going to bust down his door any second over these.”

I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing. This changed everything - and yet, it changed nothing. “Mia, listen to me. Those men who chased us yesterday? They’re not after some bootleg copies of ‘The Fast and the Furious.’ Whatever’s really going on here, it’s bigger than this.”

Her laughter died away, replaced by a look of dawning horror. “But... if it’s not the movies, then what? What could they possibly want?”

I stood up, pacing the length of the study. The weight of my responsibility as clan captain, the looming deadline of our marriage, the mystery surrounding Mia - it all pressed down on me, demanding action. And suddenly, I knew what we had to do.

I turned to her, my decision made. “Mia, I think we need to get married. Today.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “What? Connor, that’s crazy. We can’t just-”

“Listen,” I said, kneeling in front of her chair and taking her hands in mine. “Whatever’s going on here, it’s dangerous. You need protection - real protection. As my wife, you’ll have the full force of the clan behind you. No one would dare touch you.”

Mia’s fingers trembled in my grasp. “But... but we barely know each other.”

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