Page 51 of Damian
And for the first time, I wondered—was the safehouse truly safe, or just another breadcrumb Luthor was waiting for us to follow?
68
Morgan
The first sound was faint. A crunch, like gravel shifting under a boot.
I froze, every muscle locking tight. Ruby’s head jerked up, her eyes wide. We hadn’t spoken in nearly an hour, the silence between us heavy but bearable—until now.
“Morgan?” she whispered.
I held up a hand, shushing her. My heart hammered so loud I was sure whoever was outside could hear it. Slowly, I rose from the sofa and crossed to the nearest window. The blackout curtains swallowed the light, but there was just enough of a gap at the edge for me to peek through.
Nothing. Just trees swaying in the night breeze, shadows stretching long across the gravel. But the sound had been real.
The second came sharper—closer. Metal against metal, like a car door clicking shut.
Ruby bolted upright. “They’re back, aren’t they? Damian said they’d come back—what if—”
“Shh.” My voice was firm, though my pulse was anything but steady. I went to her, set my hands on her shoulders. “Itcould be nothing. An animal. A car turning around on the road. We don’t open the door. We don’t make a sound. That’s all we do.”
Her eyes glistened, fear breaking through the tough mask she wore. “And if it’s not nothing?”
I swallowed hard, forcing calm into my voice. “Then Damian will be here soon. And until then, it’s you and me. Like it’s always been.”
The recorder sat on the coffee table where I’d left it—its little red light was dark. I almost reached for it, for the comfort of documenting what I felt, but Damian’s warning echoed in my head:No more breadcrumbs unless you need it.
So I left it there and moved to the door, double-checking the locks for the third time. Ruby shadowed me, her arms wrapped tight around her middle.
Then it came—a knock. Not loud. Not frantic. Just three slow, deliberate raps against the wood.
Ruby gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. My own breath stalled in my chest.
“Who is it?” she mouthed.
I shook my head. Because whoever it was, they already knew we were in here.
And the worst part? They hadn’t called Damian’s name.
69
Morgan
The knock echoed in the silence, low and deliberate.
Ruby clutched my arm so hard her nails dug through the fabric of my sleeve. “Don’t answer it,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“I won’t,” I promised, though my pulse was wild enough to make my hands shake.
I edged toward the peephole, every step careful, my body angled to keep Ruby behind me. My breath fogged the metal when I leaned close. Nothing but darkness. Whoever was out there knew how to stand just beyond sight.
Another knock. Slower this time. Heavier.
“Damian said not to open the door for anyone but him,” Ruby reminded me, her voice higher now, like she was trying to anchor herself to the rules.
She was right. He’d been clear. But the sound crawled under my skin, coiling in my stomach. Whoever was out there wanted us to know they weren’t in a hurry.
I forced myself back from the door, pressing Ruby toward the hall. “Bedroom. Now. Lock it.”
