Chapter 3

Several dark silhouettes were sprinting across the courtyard, heading straight for the house.

I wanted to run for the panic button, but my legs turned to jelly, and my instinct forced me back toward the bedroom.

"Mason, there are people out there! For real!"

"Call 911! They're coming right now!"

Mason didn't believe a word of it. He tossed his phone onto the sheets, grabbed a handful of my hair, and shoved me forcefully toward the hallway.

"Are you ever going to shut up? Even if someone did break in, I wouldn't call the cops. At most, they'll steal a few watches, and I can easily afford it!

Get the hell out of my room!"

After throwing me out, Mason slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.

I didn't dare bang on the wood, terrified that any noise would alert the intruders.

I dug my fingernails into my palms, forcing myself to breathe, and crept down the hallway toward the living room.

The panic button was locked inside a small safe beneath the TV console.

Sweat poured down my face. I didn't dare look back.

I pulled out the tiny key, but my hands were shaking so violently that it took me several agonizing seconds just to align it with the keyhole.

Just as the metal door clicked open and my fingers gripped the panic button, heavy, hurried footsteps echoed right behind me.

I was done for!

The device required popping open a plastic safety cover before pressing the switch. If I triggered it now, they would see me instantly. Would they kill me on the spot to silence a witness?

My panicked mind couldn't process rational thought. Pure survival instinct took over, and I slipped the device into my deep sweater pocket.

The very next second, a massive, calloused hand clamped down over my mouth.

"Keep your mouth shut if you want to stay alive!"

"Where is Mason Vance?"

My entire body went rigid. My eyes went wide as I looked up at the man holding me down.

He was massive.

And behind him stood six other men, each one just as towering and muscular!

Even though black ski masks covered their faces, the exposed eyes looked shockingly familiar. I had definitely seen them somewhere before.

"I asked you a question. Where is Mason Vance?"

"We're here for him! Keep your mouth shut, and we'll let you live!"

Hearing his voice again, a spark went off in my head.

I remembered!

I had seen these men at Ryan Cole's gym before he went bankrupt.

Ryan had treated his trainers and regulars like brothers; he had even saved the life of one of the senior trainers during a bad accident.

Had Ryan hired them to get revenge on Mason?

My overwhelming terror subsided by a fraction, though my heart was still pounding violently.

No matter how vile Mason was, I couldn't condone a violent crime. My immediate goal was to keep them calm, then find a safe moment to hit the panic button.

Before the thought could settle, the man holding me lost his patience, his other hand tightening around my throat.

"Still not talking?"

He didn't need an answer.

Down the hall, Mason must have heard something hilarious from Samantha, because a loud, arrogant burst of laughter echoed from the bedroom, carrying clearly into the living room.

The intruders immediately dragged me down the hallway toward the sound.

Finding the door locked, the leader pressed the cold tip of a knife against my lower back. "Get him to open it."

To stay alive, I had no choice but to raise my hand and knock.

"Mason... please don't be mad at me. I agree to the divorce. I'll walk away with nothing."

"Please open the door. I brought you a warm glass of milk."

If Mason had an ounce of common sense, he would have detected the red flags instantly.

I had fought him tooth and nail for two whole years; why would I suddenly surrender everything? Furthermore, he was severely lactose intolerant; he never touched milk.

On top of the security alert he had seen on my phone earlier, I was sure he would finally realize the danger and call for help.

Yet, the moment my words faded, heavy footsteps approached the other side of the door.

Then came his sickening, smug chuckle. "Still trying, huh?

Nina Vance, I haven't even laid a hand on you yet, and you're already trying to poison me?"

The next second.

Under my shocked and horrified gaze, the bedroom door swung wide open.

Before Mason could even blink, several hulking men pounced, tackling him violently to the carpet.