The aftermath of the grand baby shower still echoed through the Montgomery estate, though the house now carried a different energy—a strange calm before a looming storm. Clair sat by the window of the master bedroom, sipping on chamomile tea while gazing out at the trimmed hedges of the backyard. The twins and the miracle third baby moved gently in her belly, a constant, tender reminder of what was at stake.
Austin had been quiet since the party. More protective, yes—but also more distant. The weight of their enemies drawing closer was suffocating, and he wore it like a shroud. The cartel hadn't retaliated yet, but all their informants said it was coming. They were just waiting for the right moment.
Clair rubbed her belly gently. "We've got this," she murmured. "Daddy's going to keep us safe."
She meant the words, but her heart twisted with worry.
Downstairs, Austin stood in the war room with Elias and two of his trusted captains, Victor and Cole. The massive digital map on the wall displayed multiple locations marked in red—cartel outposts, suspected enemies, possible threats.
"They're bottlenecking near the border," Elias pointed. "All activity suggests they're planning something big. We've intercepted three encrypted messages that all reference a 'delivery' to the Montgomery estate."
"Clair?" Austin's voice was sharp and icy.
"Could be. Or you. Or the kids," Elias said. "Whatever it is, it's targeted."
Austin's jaw clenched. "I want full lockdown. No deliveries. No visitors. Double the guard rotations. Every surveillance channel stays live twenty-four-seven."
Victor nodded. "Already on it, boss."
Cole added, "I'll personally take over perimeter patrols."
Austin nodded but didn't relax. The thought of Clair or their unborn children in danger twisted something deep inside him. He'd killed for less. And he would again.
That night, he lay beside Clair, his hand resting on her belly. She was already half asleep when he whispered, "I'll burn the world before I let anything happen to you or them."
---
The next morning brought news no one wanted to hear. A small explosion had gone off at one of Montgomery's shipping yards. No casualties, but the message was clear: the cartel was getting bold.
Austin stood amidst the blackened debris, watching smoke curl into the morning air. Elias joined him, holding a scorched, charred fragment of a drone.
"They used a drone to drop the explosive," Elias said. "Military grade. This isn't just the cartel—it's someone supplying them."
Austin's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"Still tracing it. But I have a name. One of their new enforcers—Valeria Cruz. Ex-special forces. Cold as ice. They call her La Viuda Blanca."
"The White Widow," Austin muttered. "Charming."
"She's not just muscle. She's a strategist. She'll go after what you love to make you vulnerable."
Austin's face hardened. "Then she just made herself a target."
---
Back at the estate, Clair was in the middle of a prenatal yoga session guided by a private instructor when Maria rushed into the room, her face pale.
"Mrs. Montgomery, the doctor is here. He said it's urgent."
Panic flared in Clair's chest. "What? Why?"
"He wouldn't say."
Clair hurried to the private medical suite where Dr. Benson, her obstetrician, stood reviewing some printouts.
"What's going on?" she asked.
He turned to her gently. "The babies are fine. All three heartbeats are strong. But your blood pressure is elevated. Higher than I'd like at this stage."
"I've been stressed," she admitted.
"You need to rest more. Your body is under enormous strain. Any more spikes could trigger early labor. And we don't want that yet."
She sat down, breathing slowly. "I'll be careful."
He leaned closer. "Clair, stress is unavoidable right now. But isolation isn't. You need your husband. Let him take some of this weight off you."
"I'll talk to him," she promised, even as her heart pounded.
---
That night, Clair and Austin had a long, quiet conversation by the fire. She told him about the blood pressure scare, and he went rigid.
"I should've been here."
"No," she said firmly. "You're fighting to protect us. But I need you to also fight with me. That means letting me in."
His eyes searched hers. "What if something happens to you? Or the babies? I won't survive it."
"Then don't let it happen. We face it together. No secrets."
He took her hands and nodded. "No secrets."
---
Across town, Valeria Cruz stood in the shadows of a dim warehouse, watching footage from a drone of Austin's estate.
"They're guarded like a fortress," one of her men said.
She smirked. "Even fortresses fall. You just need to find the right crack."
She turned off the screen and looked at a blueprint of the estate's layout.
"We hit the outer guards first. Isolate the mansion. Cut power. Then we find her."
"And if Montgomery fights back?"
She smiled coldly. "Then we remind him why ghosts shouldn't come back to life."
---
Clair spent the following day resting, watching movies in bed and FaceTiming her mother. Despite her best efforts, unease lingered like smoke in the corners of her mind.
When Austin walked in with a tray of food—grilled salmon, steamed veggies, and fruit salad—her eyes welled.
"Stop looking at me like that," he said gently, setting the tray down.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm the last safe place you've got."
She touched his cheek. "You are."
He kissed her deeply, then lay beside her. For the first time in days, they both fell asleep wrapped in peace.
But peace, like smoke, doesn't linger long.
---
At 3 a.m., a security alarm blared.
Austin shot up, grabbing his weapon. Clair froze, heart thundering. A voice came over the intercom—Cole's voice.
"Attempted breach at the east fence. We neutralized the intruders. Two dead, one captured."
Austin ran down to the holding cell while Clair waited upstairs with Maria and three guards.
He found Elias already questioning the captive. The man was bloody, bruised, but defiant.
"Talk," Elias growled.
The man spat blood. "You can kill me, but she's coming for all of you. La Viuda Blanca doesn't miss twice."
Austin leaned in. "Then I'll make sure she doesn't get a third chance."
He turned to Elias. "Put every asset on finding her. I want her location by sunrise."
---
Clair watched the sun rise from the nursery window, her hand gently stroking her belly.
"You three have no idea the fire waiting to protect you," she whispered.
She felt Austin's presence behind her before he spoke.
"She tried to break in."
"Was she here?"
"No. But her people were. We caught one."
Clair turned. "You'll stop her."
"We'll stop her," he corrected. "You, me, and these little warriors growing inside you."
She smiled. "I love you, Austin Montgomery."
He pulled her close. "And I love you more than life."
---
Outside the gates, as the sun crested the horizon, a figure watched through binoculars from a distant hill.
Valeria Cruz, dressed in all black, lowered the lenses and smirked.
"Enjoy your peace, Montgomery. It won't last."