I bring my knee flying into his parts, and when he releases me, I bolt back inside the dim-lit coffee shop. “Noah!” I scream, looking around for him. “Noah!” I maneuver around tables, my breaths coming quickly and irregularly. “Noah!”
The world spins around me. But then I see him—my tall, handsome husband—coming from the back room of the shop. I collapse into his arms, my chest heaving. “Noah! Outside. Bryan. Talking nonsense. Trying to take me.”
Noah tenses and grabs Ethan, who just approached us. “Watch her!” he barks before stalking toward the back door I bolted in from.
I stumble after him in my dizzy state, but Ethan grabs my hand. “Esme. What’s going on?”
Sam stands next to Ethan, and Ashton and Branda are making their way into the dining area. “Is everything okay?” Ashton asks, concern written in his features.
“What’s happening?” Branda asks at the same time.
I fight to gain control of my breathing as Sam takes my hand from Ethan and squeezes.
“Bryan. He’s saying—” I try to make sense of Bryan’s words, but I can’t. And he had blood on him.And Noah… “I’ve got to help Noah!”
I yank free of Sam’s grip, clarity seeping into my system at the thought of Noah and Bryan outside. Alone. I race toward the backdoor exit, my heart pumping with adrenaline. I fling the door open.
But no one greets me on the other side. Not Noah. Not Bryan. Just the chirping crickets, the twinkling stars above, and the woods from which Bryan appeared out of earlier.
“Noah!” I shout, yanking my shoes off as I push myself to run as fast as I can to the woods. I vaguely hear my family on myheels, but my blood is thumping too hard in my ears for it to register completely. “Noah!”
A guttural scream slices through the fog in my head, and I run faster than I’ve ever run toward the sound. Branches whack my face, briars scratching my legs as I dodge trees and bushes. I stumble into a clearing to find a knife at the throat of the man I love. Noah’s eyes are pools of anger while blood drips from some wound on his face. But Bryan isn’t any better off outside of having a weapon.
I don’t stop to process or think rationally when Bryan grins, blood dripping off his chin. Rage fills my vision, and I let out a war cry as I sprint.Not again. Not again. Not again.
“Freeze!” A booming voice echoes from right behind me. And I do, only because I know the sound of that voice. A low growl sounds from Ares.
I don’t have to turn around to know Sheriff Hodges is behind me. He was still hanging around the area as we cleaned up.
I don’t take my eyes off Bryan, whose face is a cool mask of confidence as if a gun isn’t pointed at him. No, Bryan smiles. As if this is his idea of fun.
A sick, twisted wave of nausea churns in my stomach. I was going to marry this psycho.
“Let me have my Esme, and I will release the guy.”
“Not on your life!” I shout as shocks of exclamation come from behind me.
Bryan gives a bloody smirk. “But you will, darling. Or it’s his life.”
My blood runs cold. “Fine. Let him go and I will be yours.”
“Esme, what the—” Ethan barks, moving to stand beside me as Sam rests her hand on my shoulder as if to hold me in place. Ethan spits into the grass as he stares daggers at Bryan.
“You don’t mean that, Esme. The second I let him go you’ll run into his arms. I’m not stupid despite the role I’ve played.”He drags the tip of the knife along Noah’s neck. “I think, at this point, the only way to make you mine is to kill him.”
Bryan’s right. As much as I want to pretend that I will go to him, I wouldn’t be able to sell it. How do I get Noah out of this situation without any more harm? What do I need to do?This can’t be happening right now. No, no, no! What do I do?
“Drop the knife,” Sheriff Hodges commands. He’s on the other side of me now, his dark skin blending into his black T-shirt against the night as he levels his sights at Bryan. Ares stands at attention, moving when the sheriff moves.
“So help me God, Bryan. If you don’t let Noah go, I will—” Ashton stalks up beside us in a swarm of insults, threats, and curses, Branda standing behind his back.
“And you’ll have me to deal with, too,” Branda proclaims.
My heart beats steadily for the first time. The guys have flashlights and have turned them on, illuminating the night around us as shouts of rage and curses fill the air.
I’m not alone.
I find Noah’s eyes from across the clearing. Though worry is etched into his features, Noah smiles brokenly and gives the barest hint of a nod. He mouths,One. Two. Three—
