Chapter 1 - The Glass Door
Gideon pushed the heavy glass door of the toy gallery open.
The freezing Seattle rain immediately bit into the fabric of his expensive wool suit.
He ignored the bitter chill and stepped out under the narrow awning.
The two little girls did not run away, but they instantly stiffened like frightened deer.
Ren stepped slightly in front of Nova, shielding the smaller girl with her own body.
Gideon kept his hands visible and offered a gentle, disarming smile.
"It is entirely too cold to be standing out here," he said softly.
The girls remained perfectly silent, their eyes tracking his every movement.
"I have hot chocolate inside, and it is much warmer than this sidewalk," Gideon offered.
Ren looked at the warm, glowing interior of the store, then back to the billionaire.
Her stomach let out a loud, traitorous growl that echoed over the sound of the rain.
Defeated by her own hunger, Ren slowly nodded and grabbed Nova's hand.
Gideon led them inside the gallery, locking the front door and flipping the open sign to closed.
He brought them to his luxurious back office and handed them steaming mugs of hot chocolate.
As Nova reached for her mug, her worn backpack slipped off her small shoulder.
The zipper broke open, spilling a heavy, metallic object onto the plush carpet.
Gideon froze, his eyes locking onto the device instantly.
It was a military-grade encrypted hard drive.
He knew exactly what it was because his own former cybersecurity company had designed it.
"Where did you get that?" Gideon asked, his voice suddenly sharp.
May you like
Ren dropped her mug, pulling a rusted switchblade from her pocket and pointing it at his chest.
"Do not touch it, or I will kill you," the six-year-old girl whispered with terrifying sincerity.
