"Timmy! Get out right this instant!"
The drunken roar made Lizzy flinch so hard she nearly fell off her chair.
Joanne caught her just in time, her pulse pounding in her ears.
The rage bubbling inside her was instant, hot, righteous.
That man had the audacity to show up here? After letting his kids run away in the first place?
JD was already on his feet. His jaw clenched, eyes dark with barely restrained fury. "That son of a—"
Joanne held up a hand. "I'll handle it."
JD scoffed. "Like hell you will."
But she was already moving, her mind sharpening like a blade. This wasn't about her or Ian—it was about the children. She needed to de-escalate the situation before it spiraled out of control.
Just as she reached for the door, her dogs' barking intensified. Something was off. They weren't just reacting to a stranger—they sensed danger.
