Chapter 12 - The Sanctuary of Stone
Z
By midnight, the fire was entirely extinguished. The barn studio was reduced to a smoking, blackened skeleton of charred timber and ash. The scent of burnt wood hung thick and suffocating over the property, a grim reminder of how fragile their peace truly was.
Fire investigators and private armed guards had cordoned off the perimeter. Griffin refused to let Sloan and the girls sleep in the house that night. Within two hours, he had chartered a private helicopter, flying them away from Bainbridge Island to a heavily fortified private estate he owned high in the Cascade Mountains—a fortress built of solid stone, reinforced steel, and triple-paned bulletproof glass.
Inside the mountain lodge, a massive stone fireplace roared, casting a warm, flickering light over the rustic living room.
Hazel and Iris, utterly exhausted from the terror of the night, were fast asleep in the master bedroom upstairs, guarded by two top-tier private security operatives standing outside their door.
Downstairs, Sloan sat on the plush leather sofa, staring blankly into the flames of the fireplace. She wore one of Griffin’s heavy flannel shirts over her clothes, a hot mug of chamomile tea resting untouched in her lap.
Griffin walked into the room, having spent the last hour on encrypted calls with private intelligence agencies and international investigators. He looked pale, his tuxedo shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his hands lightly dusted with soot from when he had inspected the ruins of the barn.
He sat beside her on the sofa, pulling her softly into his side. Sloan leaned her head against his chest, letting out a long, shuddering breath.
"The intelligence team confirmed it," Griffin said softly, his baritone voice vibrating against her cheek. "Charles Mercer had a second family in Europe. A secret branch of the Mercer line that my father and mother helped hide forty years ago to prevent a public scandal."
Sloan looked up, her green eyes wide with exhaustion and disbelief. "A secret family?"
"A half-brother," Griffin explained, his hand stroking her dark hair gently. "His name is Victor Mercer. He spent the last twenty years running private security and mercenary logistics out of Eastern Europe. Julian and Genevieve were just the public puppets. Victor is the one who managed the family’s off-grid assets."
"He set the fire," Sloan whispered.
"Yes," Griffin’s eyes darkened. "He arrived in Seattle three days ago under a forged Canadian passport. He set the fire while Julian kept me occupied in the boardroom. It was a message to show me that no matter how many legal victories I win, he can reach my home."
Sloan closed her eyes, a tear escaping down her cheek. "All my paintings... my father’s old restoration tools... everything is gone, Griffin."
Griffin wrapped both arms around her, pressing a deep, lingering kiss against her temple. "Tools can be replaced, Sloan. Canvases can be bought. You and the girls are alive. That is the only thing that matters in this world."
"I'm tired of running, Griffin," Sloan cried out softly, her voice breaking with raw vulnerability. "I ran from your mother ten years ago. I ran from Genevieve. Now we're hiding in a mountain fortress because another ghost from your past wants revenge. When does it stop?"
"It stops tonight," Griffin declared fiercely, turning her face so she was looking directly into his eyes.
The fear in Sloan’s heart met the absolute, immovable resolve in Griffin’s gaze. There was no hesitation in him. No doubt.
"I spent my entire life playing by the rules of high society," Griffin said, his voice ringing with absolute certainty. "I used courtrooms, stock markets, and boardrooms to fight my battles. But Victor Mercer doesn't care about boardrooms. He wants a war."
Griffin took her hands in his. "I am going to use every dollar, every contact, and every resource I possess to hunt Victor down. He will not take another breath as a free man. I am going to end this, Sloan. Once and for all."
Sloan looked at him, seeing not the arrogant billionaire who had once overwhelmed her, but the protector who would burn down heaven and earth to keep his family safe.
"Don't do this alone," Sloan whispered, squeezing his hands tightly. "Ten years ago, we let secrets and pride separate us. If we are going to fight this war, Griffin... we fight it together."
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Griffin’s heart swelled with a profound, powerful emotion. He pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers in a fierce, passionate kiss that burned brighter than any flame.
"Together," Griffin promised against her lips. "Always."
