The mention of a warm meal and a safe bed made my chest tighten with relief.

We drove down the long, winding driveway of the Whitmore estate.

I looked out the window as the iron gates closed behind us.

The girls were already drifting off to sleep, worn out from the terror.

I held Lily close, listening to her soft, uneven breathing.

We drove in silence along the dark, tree-lined roads of Greenwich.

The headlights reflected off the wet asphalt.

Just as we turned onto the highway, the screen of my phone lit up in my purse.

The screen glowed brightly in the dark car.

It was an unknown number.

A text message appeared on the screen.

I reached down and picked up the phone.

My hand was still shaking.

I tapped the message to open it.

There was an image attached.

It was a photograph of the street outside Richard’s estate.

Below the image was a short line of text.

“We know where he is taking you.”

My breath caught in my throat.

I stared at the glowing screen, my thumb hovering over the glass.