His self-control felt as thin as a spiderweb. “When your father was dying, your safety was the one thing he cared about. It’s the one thing I care about.” Shut up, Luke. Don’t say anything else. But he couldn’t hold the words back. “Do you think that I could live with myself if something happened to you?”

“If something happens to me, it won’t be your fault—”

“The answer’s no. I will not be able to live with myself.” He’d failed to protect Ethan. There was no way he could fail to protect Finley. No way he could survive that a second time.

She searched his features. “I’m sorry.”

Strain grew between them, so strong it seemed to suck the air from the room. He strode to the doors, staring out, trying to make sense of the chaos inside his head and heart.

“Do you think the burglar left fingerprints on the keypad of the safe?” she asked.

“No. I think anyone careful enough to cover their tracks when they tried to breach my computer would also be careful enough to wear gloves.”

“But not careful enough to put the safe back in the drawer the same way they found it?”

He shrugged. “Maybe they did make a mistake. Or maybe they put it back that way on purpose.”

“Why?”

“To rattle us.”

“In the hopes of?”

“Making us rush. Get scared. Get sloppy.”

He could almost hear her mind turning. “Is there any point in calling the police?” she asked.

“To report what? That nothing was stolen but that you think—but aren’t certain—that your safe is facing a different direction?”

She exhaled tightly.

“We have no evidence,” he said, “that a crime was committed here.”

“So how do you suggest we react?”

“I’m going to call your security company and pay whatever it takes to get someone out here today to install exterior and interior cameras, as well as window sensors.”

“All right. But you won’t pay for it. I will.”

“What’s the number for your security company?”

She pulled out her phone and read off the digits. He input them into his phone one by one.

“I’ll be in the bedroom,” she said. “I need a minute to regroup.”

Finley shut herself into her room, then sank onto the chair in the corner, hands covering her face.

At first, when she’d seen the position of the safe, shock had swept over her mind like a cloud. Confusion and dread followed closely, making the cloud even more dense. Now that cloud was thinning, which was almost worse because it had acted as a buffer.

Indignation crept in. Someone had had the nerve to break into her house. Her beloved, defenseless animals were here! This was her haven. Her safe place. She felt . . . violated.