Her face was bitter; imagine, after what she had just done to him. It reminded him of the night he had caught her with David. “You wouldn’t dare,” she swore.

Matt yanked her to the edge. She screamed but there was no one to hear her. He pushed her so that she was hanging at a forty-five degree angle over the ledge. Naturally, she started to struggle. One foot slipped and went over the side. It was hard to hold onto her.

“Matt! No! No! Don’t! Matt!”

He pulled her back to safety and spoke in a cold voice. “Tie the rope to the webbing and climb down to the ledge. Hurry, I won’t give you another chance.”

Now she knew he was not bluffing. He let her go and she fell to her knees and began to knot the rope onto the webbing that circled the boulder. She shook so badly, he had to help her. Weeping like a child, she trembled in his arms as he pulled her back to the edge.

“I can’t do this,” she gasped. “Don’t make me do this.”

“The ledge is only sixty feet down.”

Her big brown eyes pleaded. “But I might fall!”

He nodded. “You could fall if you’re not careful. But a few minutes ago, you didn’t care if I fell. You didn’t care how long and how dark I fell when I caught you with David. That’s your problem. You only think of yourself. My problem is the opposite. I only think about you. But I’m tired of that and I’m tired of you. Go over the side now or I throw you over. Either way, I don’t care.”

She fell to her knees. “Please! I’m the mother of your son!”

He pulled her back to her feet. “Not anymore you’re not.”

“Matt!”

He gripped her arm. “Last chance, Amy.”

She heard his voice. She saw his face. Absolute conviction.

“Okay,” she whispered.

There was scant light left but it was not an obstacle. Amy’s shoes had excellent soles—he had picked them out for her that morning. And with the rope, she did not need any other equipment to reach the ledge. Summoning her nerve, she went over the side. The overhang caused her a problem—she went briefly airborne—but she slid past it and was on the ledge within a minute. He tried to pull up the rope. She refused to let it go.

He cut the rope with his knife and threw it down to her.

She let out a groan and slammed it to the ground.