Mia

“You killed my daughter. Now, I'm going to kill you.”

The words were even and calm, yet so full of hatred that Mia winced. The man on the other side of the door wasn't nervous or afraid. He was calm and ready to deal out the justice he felt the world deserved. A justice with Carter dead.

The man started to pound on the door. It shook from every blow and Mia didn't know how long it would hold. It was a heavier door than she was used to, but the man outside was determined, and a little bit of wood and metal wasn't about to stop him. This had to be the man sending death-threats to Carter. He had to have found a way to turn off the security system and phones. She wondered how he'd gotten security to leave.

It didn't matter, though. He was here now. He was here and ready to carry out his threats.

Carter didn't hesitate. He went to the window, ready with a plan. He grunted with the effort of lifting the big window open. Once it was open, he pushed on the screen, letting it tumble to the ground. He poked his head out and motioned to her.

“We can jump from here,” he said, pointing down. Mia realized that Laura hadn't gotten all the hay put away as some was below the window. “The hay will break the fall, and it's only one story. We'll be fine.”

Mia was suddenly glad that Laura was so busy that she hadn't finished that chore yet. She looked out the window and stopped. She couldn't jump. Even just one story into a pile of hay.

“I can't,” she whispered.

“Yes, you can,” Carter told her with a gentle smile. “I'll be right here with you.”

The door shook, and a fragment of wood flew off it as a gunshot sounded. They both ducked, turning in time to watch a fragment of the door hit the floor. The door had stopped the bullet, but barely. The man outside was getting angrier now that the door hadn't given way.

“You killed her,” the intruder wailed, losing his calm as he slammed his body into the door again so hard the whole room shook.

“I can't jump,” Mia repeated, stepping away from the window.

“I'll hold your hand,” Carter coaxed, still smiling like he had all the time in the world. He held out his hand to her. “It'll be fine. I promise.”

Mia shook her head, and she let out a terrified gasp. “I can't jump. I'm pregnant.”

The words hit Carter like a slap. He stared at her, then down to her stomach, then back up to her face. The color drained from his cheeks. He hadn't been afraid of the intruder, but he was afraid of her words.

“YOU KILLED HER,” the man wailed, sending another piece of wood from the door flying. It would only take a few more hits, and he would be through. Mia held no illusions as to the fact that she was dead as soon as that happened. The death-threat sender knew she was important to Carter. She was just glad the kids were at school and safe there.

Carter ran around to the opposite side of the desk and tossed the leather chairs to the side as if they were made of plastic. He hopped back over the desk, and braced his shoulder against the heavy wood and pushed. It didn't move.

Mia hurried to his side and put her hands on the heavy desk to help.

“No,” he told her gruffly, pushing her hands off of it. He took a breath and braced his shoulder again. The seam on his shoulder ripped as his muscles tensed and he used every ounce of strength he had to push the desk.

The desk had to weigh a ton, but he moved it up against the door. He was shaking when he finished.

“YOU CAN'T STOP ME,” the voice cried. Anger and pain filled the words as he slammed into the door again. The door shook, but this time the desk held it in place. It wouldn't last forever though. All the man needed to do was keep hitting above the desk, and he would be inside.

Carter grabbed her hand, pulling her to the closet. He threw it open.

“Get inside,” he commanded. His voice was low and dangerous. “You should be safe. He doesn't want you. He doesn't know you're here.”

She moved inside the closet.

“I'll stay out here. Whatever you hear, don't make a sound.” His mouth was thin, and she couldn't look away from the rip on his shirt. She reached for his hands.

“Carter...” She looked up at him, knowing he was protecting her. There was so much that she needed to say. There was so much that she still needed to tell him, that he needed to know. This wasn't the place. “I didn't want to tell you like this.”

The door shook and the man outside screamed and tried again.

“When did you find out?” Carter asked quietly. His eyes stayed on their hands, not wanting to look into her eyes. At least he hadn't pulled away yet.

“A couple of days ago.” Her voice caught at the end.

“A couple of days?” Anger flashed through his blue eyes and Mia shrunk down as he took his hands away.

“I didn't know how to tell you,” she whispered. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for all of this.”

A rage scream filled the air, and the door shook again. Another bullet hit the door, making a large, strange dent in the fortified wood. “YOU KILLED HER. YOU DESERVE TO DIE.”

Carter's shoulders slumped. He raised his eyes from her hands to her face. There was such grief and betrayal that it broke her heart. She felt a tear run down her cheek, but she didn't move. She didn't know what to do or what to say. She turned her face from his gaze, her heart already shattering.

There was a blast from outside the door, and Mia was sure it was the end. She was sure that the man had finally broken down the solid wood door and was going to kill them all. He was going to kill Carter, her and their baby.

But the door remained intact. There were shouts and a scream from the other side. Mia held her breath until the shouting stopped. It felt like ages.

“Mr. Williamson? You can come out now.” The voice this time on the other side of the door was Brian. Mia recognized it and sagged with relief. She felt like her knees were going to give out.

Carter stepped away from her and went to the door. He unlocked it.

“I have the desk next to the door. Tell me when to push,” he told Brian.

At Brian's signal, Carter used his feet against the wall and his back to the desk to help push while the security team on the other side pushed as well. The floor made a horrible noise as the desk scraped against it, but they were free.

“Are you all right, sir?” Brian asked, poking his head through the doorway. “The threat has been removed.”

Mia came out of the closet, surprised that her feet were steady enough to walk. Through the open window, she could see security vans arriving, and the howl of police sirens floated through the air. She noticed how cold it was in the room with the window wide open.

“I'm fine,” Carter told him, pushing past and through the open door. “I just need some air.”

Mia stared after him. He was angry. He had every right to be.

“Are you all right, ma'am?” Brian asked her, coming into the room.

She nodded meekly. Physically she was fine, but she wasn't sure how she was emotionally just yet.

“Excuse me,” she said, knowing that she needed to go after Carter. She needed to talk to him. So she went through the broken door and hurried after the man she loved.