Hope kindled to life at the sound of Reece’s voice floating up from my apartment. He was here—­oh my God, he was here. I couldn’t believe it. I opened my mouth to yell back, but Kip slammed his hand down on my mouth, muffling my scream. The grip was brutal, smashing my lips against my teeth. He moved so quickly, his other hand reaching around to his back. There was a quick glimmer of something shiny and the cool metal pressed against the base of my throat.

He had a knife.

“Say one word, and I’ll give you a different kind of smile,” he whispered. “Do you understand me?”

My chest clenched as I stared into his cold, piercing eyes. I really couldn’t nod, but he seemed to see the understanding in my face. “Up,” he ordered.

As Kip hauled me onto my feet, I heard Reece down below, shouting out my name again. He sounded closer, as if he were near the closet. My heart pounded as Kip kept the knife against my throat, pushing me toward the bedroom door. Reece was smart. He would see the open door inside the closet, the stairwell, and he would come looking for me. Kip had to have realized that too.

Kip cursed again as he turned so I was facing the closet door. Heavy steps thundered throughout the apartment, matching the tempo of my racing heart. We were almost out of the room when Reece burst out of the closet, gun drawn and pointed straight at where we stood.

Time appeared to have frozen.

Terror and hope warred inside me as my gaze briefly met Reece’s. For the tiniest moment, I saw what he was feeling when he saw me. It was in those beautiful, sea-­colored eyes of his. Panic. Fear. A rage I knew could be deadly, that promised retribution. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking when he came through that door and saw this. I had no idea how I started off the day waking up with resolve and determination to really start the process of moving on with my life and then this, God, this was happening.

But I should know by now that none of life could truly be planned. My life—­our lives—­were about to be thrown off course yet again.

Kip slipped his hand off my mouth and wrapped his arm around my waist as he kept the knife against my throat.

In a split second, Reece’s jaw locked down and his lips thinned. Everything about his face went emotionless.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my words coming out a little mushed-­sounding.

Reece’s eyes were like chips of blue diamonds. “Babe, none of this is your fault.”

I knew that, but I didn’t want Reece to see any of this, and I didn’t want him to get hurt. Those were the last two things I wanted.