“Put the knife down,” Torgerson yelled. “Put it down or I will shoot.”

All Darby could think about was the cold steel pressed against her trachea. She stared into blue eyes ringed by dark lashes and recognized the hate she saw there. The men who’d raped her had always viewed her with hate, as if it were her fault they were violating her. It was easier than the self-loathing they should have been dealing with.

They were all dead. They didn’t matter anymore.

This man mattered. This man was her here and now. And he wanted to kill her.

“Anyone comes any closer I will kill her!”

She gripped his wrist, pushing against his superior strength. Her heart raced. Her arms started to tremble, and the knife edged closer. People were screaming and running away. Signy was circling them. Another older woman was sobbing in her periphery and Elliot was forcibly holding her back. Then the woman broke free and started pulling on her attacker’s shoulder. He wrenched free and the blade bit into Darby’s flesh and she thought she was going to die.

Blood trickled warmly down her neck and everyone seemed to freeze. Darby wanted to scream but she held it all inside.

“Anyone comes any closer and she dies, even you, Mom!” Spittle landed on her cheek. “Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?”

This didn’t make sense. Serial killers didn’t usually bring their mothers, did they?

She wanted to throw him off her and draw Eban’s gun that was now trapped beneath her body in her bag. She wanted to defend herself, but this man was too big, too strong. The heat of him on top of her, the confining weight of his bulk, all made her want to vomit because the sensations he triggered were paralyzing.

Suddenly, she figured out where she’d seen his face before. “You’re Martin’s brother,” she whispered.

“Don’t. Say. His. Name.” Grief and rage twisted his features. Darby’s arms shook with the effort of restraining his hand.

“I didn’t kill him,” she croaked.

“Put the knife down.” Another voice. Eban. She slid her gaze right and there he was, walking toward them with his gun drawn. Relief seeped through her. His tone was calm and deep despite what he was probably feeling.

The crowd had scattered except for Elliot and another man holding onto the older woman who was screaming at Martin’s brother to let Darby go. The woman was also calling Darby terrible names but she couldn’t deal with that as well the fact this man wanted to kill her.

“This is Martin’s brother, Tim,” Signy Torgerson gritted out to Eban.

He nodded.

“I know how terribly you must be suffering,” Eban said softly. “I cannot imagine your pain.”

Tim looked up, but Darby didn’t relax her grip on his forearm.

“I know you are grieving for your brother, but this is not how he’d want things to end for you. He wouldn’t want you to hurt Darby. She’s as much a victim as he was.”