CHAPTER 1: THE SOUND OF BREAKING STEEL
Leo pressed his small hands over his ears, his trembling body curling tighter against the cold concrete.
I didn’t wait another second.
I grabbed a loose landscaping stone from the ground—heavy, jagged, solid—and swung it straight at the padlock.
Once.
Twice.
On the third strike, the metal cracked open with a sharp, violent snap.
The gate swung loose.
Leo didn’t move at first, like he couldn’t believe it was real. Then he lunged forward, crashing into my chest, his tiny arms wrapping around me like I was the only thing keeping him alive.
“Daddy…” he sobbed. “I tried to be good…”
That broke something inside me.
I lifted him into my arms, feeling how light he was… too light. His body was cold. His hands were shaking uncontrollably.
“You are good,” I said, my voice low and firm. “You are perfect. None of this is your fault.”
Behind us, the sound of laughter still echoed from the patio.
That laughter was about to die.
I carried Leo toward the house—not quietly this time. Not carefully.
May you like
Each step was heavy. Deliberate.
War had just started.
