Chapter 38

Kelsey POV

The silver barrel of the handgun was leveled directly at my chest, held steady by a woman who had lost her grip on reality.

I had stared down terrifying situations before. But this exact moment felt different. The stakes had never been this absolute.

My little boy was trembling behind me, his small hands clutching the back of my jacket in a desperate death grip. But I refused to stay rooted behind Garrison like a helpless shadow. I shifted slightly to the left, widening my stance, ensuring that if Genevieve pulled that trigger, she couldn't hit both of us at once.

Garrison caught my movement from the corner of his eye. Six years ago, he would have grabbed me, forced me back behind his chest, and demanded complete control. Today, he gave me a microscopic nod—an acknowledgment of trust. We weren't a protector and a victim anymore. We were two parents standing together.

Genevieve tilted her head, a grotesque smile stretching acr