Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

But right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care. My father
had been the bigger threat, and although we weren’t all safe
yet, I had every confidence people would have a nice, long,
fucking pause now before coming at us.
And if they did, we’d be ready.
I ran my fingers through my hair, just wanting a shower
and a bed right now, but there was one thing more I had on my
mind to deal with before that.
I closed the door and locked it.
“I kind of just want to go sit in the fountain,” Winter said
lazily, resting her head on my arm as I held her hand and we
walked.
“Plenty of time for that,” I told her. “I have another idea,
though.”
“Oh?” She sounded amused like she could only imagine
what I wanted to do right now.
But instead of heading up the stairs, I continued down the
hall and through the kitchen.
She popped her head up. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
I led her outside, across the patio, down beyond the pool
and pool house, and past the hedge line, into the trees. We
went slow as she navigated her way over the land and fallen
branches, but when we got to the large, white oak tree, I
picked her up, carrying her over the debris of leaves and wood
I hadn’t cleaned up yet.
Setting her down, I took her hand and put it on the tree.
She ran her hands over the bark, feeling up and down until
she landed on a board nailed into the tree trunk.
She pulled away, straightening her back and her face
falling as she understood why I’d brought her out here.
Her chest moved with her shallow breaths, and I could see
the fear on her face.