This wasn’t cop fear. This wasn’t procedure or liability or aftermath.
She had a knife at her ribs. One wrong move—hers, his, anyone's—and?—
He couldn't finish the thought.
This was animal terror.
If Rourke hurt her…
If Luke didn’t reach her in time…
He pushed harder, legs pumping, lungs on fire now, vision tunneled so tightly the rest of the world barely existed.
Twenty feet.
Ten.
He could hear Rourke’s voice now—angry, snarling, words slurred together with rage. He didn’t care what he was saying.
All Luke could see was Grace.
There wasonlyGrace. And Rourke.
He forced himself to concentrate on the threat instead of the woman he loved.
He had her pulled tight against him, one arm locked around her middle — the knife pressed flat against her ribs, close enough that Luke could see exactly how little margin there was — the other hand clamped over her mouth. She was upright, but barely—weight pitched wrong, breath shallow, her body held in a way that made Luke acutely aware of how little room she had to move.
Every muscle in Luke’s body coiled.
“Let her go.”
The words came out low. Deadly. They didn’t sound like him. They didn’t sound like a cop.
Rourke peeled his hand away from Grace’s mouth and pointed at Luke.
“Stay out of it, homecoming king,” Rourke said. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said flatly.
Everything about Grace concerned him.
She was his. Had been his since the first time she'd laughed at something he said and made him feel like maybe he was worth more than his badge and his status in town.
He’d fucked that up, he’d hurt her. But now and for the rest of his life, he was going to protect her instead.
Starting here and now. He was going to save her. He was going to?—
“Luke.” She didn’t sound scared. Why didn’t she sound scared? Luke was terrified.
“Grace, baby,” he said, without looking at her, “it’s going to be okay.”
“Don’t you want to know my answer?” She asked, sounding calm. So calm.
Now he looked at her.Her answer?
Yes, he wanted to know her answer. But not like this. Not while she was in danger. Not while every second she stayed in Rourke's grip was another second Luke's world balanced on a knife's edge.
Hewantedher answer. But heneededher safe.
