Sam cursed herself for being so stupid as to go out unarmed. She glanced up at the second floor of their house where Nick was hopefully sleeping, unaware that she was in grave danger on the eve of their wedding. “What do you want?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“That’s more like it.” His lips brushed against her hair, and it was all Sam could do not to cringe. “You’re making a big mistake marrying that guy.”

“Is that so?”

“He doesn’t love you the way you deserve to be loved—the way I love you.”

Sam swallowed hard. “Peter, please. Let me go and get out of here before someone sees you and carts you back to jail.”

“There’s nowhere they can take me that’s worse than living without you.”

Sam swallowed hard. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“Are you really?”

“Of course I am. I never wanted you to be unhappy.”

“Then why did you leave me?”

Sam wanted to shove her elbow into his gut but the press of metal against her ribs kept her still. “I want you to let me go now. You need to find someone who loves you the way you deserve to be loved—”

“I don’t want anyone else,” he growled in her ear tightening his hold on her to the point of pain. “What about that don’t you get?”

The click of a gun engaging sounded next to them.

“Let her go, and step back.”

“Who the hell are you?” Peter asked.

“Doesn’t matter who I am. You need to let her go right now unless you want me to make road kill out of you.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sam saw the lights go on in their place as she tried unsuccessfully to place the voice of her rescuer.

“This is not over,” Peter whispered in her ear. “It’ll never be over.”

He let her go so abruptly that Sam stumbled for a second before regaining her footing.

She turned to find her savior holding a gun to Peter as a police cruiser rounded the corner, lights flashing. “Who the hell are you?” she asked the dark-haired man with muscles that were evident through his coat.

Nick emerged from their house and ran down the ramp to her. “Thank God you’re all right.”

“You want to explain to me how you knew about this and who that is hauling my ex-husband off to jail?”

Nick had his eyes glued on the hand-off of Peter to the police officers. “I hired him to keep an eye on Gibson.”

“You hired someone to watch him?”

“You bet your ass I did.” Nick looked down at her, his eyes fierce and furious. “I knew he’d come after you again. It was just a matter of time, and no way was I going to sit back and let that happen.”

“Nick—”