Page 82 of Sanctuary

We grappled on the floor, each fighting for control of the remote. Above us, I heard a crash—glass shattering, footsteps pounding down the stairs. Connor had found a way in.

“Mia!” His voice echoed through the cellar.

The momentary distraction cost me. Vance seized the advantage, flipping me onto my back and pinning me with his weight. His hands closed around my throat, cutting off my oxygen as he squeezed with methodical precision.

“I’ll kill you first,” he growled, his face inches from mine. “Then your sister. Then your husband. Slowly. While you watch from hell.”

Darkness crept into the edges of my vision as I struggled against his grip. The remote was still clutched in my hand, but I couldn’t risk pressing any buttons—not when Connor was in the house, not when I didn’t know which explosives it might trigger.

Through the encroaching darkness, I saw Connor at the bottom of the stairs, weapon raised but unable to get a clean shot with Vance using my body as a shield.

My free hand searched the floor desperately, fingers brushing against something metal—one of the surgical tools that had fallen from the shelves. I grasped it, feeling the familiar weight of a scalpel in my palm.

With the last of my strength, I drove the blade into Vance’s side, angling it upward toward his heart. His eyes widened in shock, his grip on my throat loosening as pain registered. I twisted the scalpel, feeling it slice through tissue and muscle.

“That’s for Lily,” I whispered as he collapsed on top of me, blood soaking through his sweater and onto my tactical vest.

Chapter 38

Mia

Connor was at my side in an instant, pulling Vance’s lifeless body off me and helping me to my feet. I staggered, gasping for air as blood rushed back to my oxygen-starved brain.

“Lily,” I managed, pointing toward my sister who remained bound to the chair, eyes wide with terror and confusion.

Connor nodded, squeezing my shoulder before moving quickly to Lily’s side. He spoke in gentle, reassuring tones as he carefully removed the duct tape from her mouth and began working on her restraints.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “You’re safe now. We’re here to help you.”

I approached slowly, still clutching the remote control, afraid to set it down or release the deadman’s switch that might be built into it. Lily’s eyes fixed on me, a mixture of fear and recognition swirling in their depths.

“Mia?” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Is it really you?”

The sound of my name on her lips—a name she shouldn’t have known—stopped me in my tracks. “You... recognize me?”

Her hands trembled as Connor freed them from their bindings. “I have your picture,” she said. “From before... before Mom died. I always knew I had a sister.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been looking for you.”

The confession hit me like a physical blow. All these years I’d stayed away to protect her, and she’d been searching for me.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, wanting desperately to embrace her but still holding the dangerous remote. “For everything. For bringing this into your life.”

“Is he dead?” she asked, glancing at Vance’s motionless form.

I nodded grimly. “Yes. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Boots pounded on the stairs as Winters and her team descended into the cellar, weapons at the ready. They quickly secured the scene, checking Vance for any signs of life and finding none.

“We need EOD for this,” I said, carefully handing the remote to one of Winters’ explosive specialists. “It’s connected to charges throughout the property. Possibly on a deadman’s switch.”

The specialist nodded, taking the device with practiced care. “I’ll handle it. You should get her out of here.”

Connor helped Lily to her feet, supporting her as her legs threatened to give way beneath her. “Can you walk?” he asked gently.

She nodded, though her body swayed with the aftereffects of whatever drug Vance had used on her. “I think so.”

“Let’s get you somewhere safe,” I said, moving to her other side. Together, Connor and I guided her up the stairs and out of that nightmare cellar.

Outside, the rain had stopped, giving way to the first hint of dawn on the horizon. The beach stretched before us, peaceful and untouched by the violence that had occurred within the house. Ryker and Royal materialized from the shadows near the tree line, their expressions a mixture of relief and wariness as they approached.

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