“I copy,” he said.

“We have a situation at the bookstore,” the voice said.

“There are three unmarked black SUVs parked outside.”

“Men in suits are talking to the landlord.”

“They have a warrant.”

“What kind of warrant?” Marco asked.

“Child protective services,” the voice said.

“They are looking for Elena and the girl.”

Marco looked back at me in the mirror.

His expression was grim.

“They aren’t waiting for the court order,” Marco said.

“They are already moving.”

I felt a cold wave of panic wash over me.

Caterina wasn’t planning a legal battle.

She was launching a raid.

“Where do we go?” I asked, my voice rising in panic.

“We can’t go to your apartment,” Marco said.

“We can’t go to the bookstore.”

“And the estate is a trap.”

My phone buzzed again in my hand.

It wasn’t an unknown number this time.

It was an alert from my home security app.

A live camera feed popped up on the screen.

Two men in dark suits and a woman with a clipboard were standing on the porch of my small apartment building.