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“Oh good, you’re up.” He steps toward me, and I flinch back against the wall with nowhere to go.

My arms tug around Clara as she sobs into my chest, hiding her face against my shirt. Her little fingers curl into the fabric, holding on for dear life as if she knows what’s about to happen. “D-don’t come any closer.”

He lets out a dark laugh that booms against the walls, and he stops only inches from the bed. “Or what?” His eyes graze over us. “Look at you, pretending to be this child’s mother. It almost makes me pity you.” He shakes his head with a mocking frown. “Such a disappointment you are.”

Even though his words slice through me as intended, I bite down on my bottom lip and fight back the tears he desperately wants to see.

He picks a piece of lint off his shoulder, looking off to the side. “I will admit, you were more difficult to find than I anticipated.” His gaze finds me, his head tilting to the side. “Which reminds me… Aren’t you going to ask how I found you?”

I remain silent, my hold on Clara shaking.

“Ask!” he shouts.

I breathe in, trying to gain any semblance of composure. Trying not to display weakness because I know he thrives on that. “How… How did you find me?”

I can’t deny that I’ve wondered this since I locked eyes with him in the parking lot.

I tossed my wedding band in the ocean.

I stayed hidden, out of sight.

I did everything right… So how?

“It’s really quite simple.” He grins proudly. “With the tracker I put in you, of course.”

My lips part, my heart pounding.

He put a tracker in me.

“Unfortunately, it lost signal for the first few days you disappeared, but then…” He snaps his fingers. “Like magic, I was alerted to your location.” His eyes darken. “And imagine my surprise when I discovered you were on the Alarie Estate.” He tsks. “I was very disappointed in you, Charlotte.” He sighs. “It was perfect timing, though, when you went to the flower shop at the same moment the Vasilievs were paying me a visit.” He chuckles. “Almost had you too.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Figured your knight in shining armor would try to take his revenge on me sooner rather than later, so I threw myself a birthday party, which I had no plans of actually attending, just to get them away from you.” A cold dread creeps in as his words settle over me. “But I digress, let’s go to the living room and talk like civilized adults.”

I shake my head. “I-I’m not going anywhere w-with you.”

He releases a breath. “Have it your way then.”

In a second, his hands clamp around Clara, and he yanks her toward him, causing her to scream.

“No!” I pull back, but a wave of dizziness washes over me, and I lose my balance, my arms releasing from Clara’s body as I fall off the bed. My head smacks the floor, and I struggle to get up fast enough.

Garrett disappears from the room, and I use the wall for support as I stand. I move as fast as I can and find him sitting in a chair with a crying Clara on his lap and two armed guards beside the front door. The sight stops me cold.

“Please…” I swallow hard, nausea rolling through my stomach. “Please don’t hurt her.”

Amusement curls his lips. “I’m afraid her fate is out of your hands.” He gestures toward the couch beside him. “Take a seat.”

Not wanting to piss him off, I stumble over and drop onto the cushion. My head feels heavy as I try to stay upright and keep my eyes open. “Please, Garrett.” I take a deep breath. “I’ll come back with you. Just let her go!”

He shakes his head. “You’ve put me in quite a pickle.” He motions for one of his guards, and they come over to take Clara from him.

“No!” I attempt to stand.

“Sit!” Garrett’s voice bellows through the room.

I do as he says, my eyes glued on the large man holding Clara.

“Look at me,” Garrett orders.

Begrudgingly, my eyes find his.