Daniel’s brother calls him Alexei.

He’s involved with the Russian mafia.

He put me and Becca at risk.

The words ring in my head as my world starts to fall apart.

I stare at the man I thought I knew.

I don’t know him at all.

Nausea grips my stomach. “I’m going to throw up,” I gasp, running from the room.

He catches up with me in the hallway and attempts to put his arm around me. “Cat, please…”

I push hm away, all I can feel is his deceit, his lies. “Leave me alone, Daniel. Or is it … Alexei?”

I swallow the sour taste of puke.

“I’m still Daniel.” His voice is raw. “I kept all this from you to protect you.”

A scornful laugh bubbles out of my throat. “Well, your protection has backfired. If I’d known who you really were, I’d never have let myself get close to you.”

I’m so angry every bone in my body is shaking.

“It will all be alright.” He gives me the broken look that used to melt my heart… the heart he’s just shattered into a million pieces.

“How can you say that? You have no clue…” My words come out high-pitched.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Breathe, Catrin. Breathe…

“Eric won’t harm the kids,” Daniel says slowly. “Once he has the money, he’ll let them go.”

I open my eyes and stare at him hard. “How can you be so sure? They must be so fucking scared. I can’t stop thinking about that… how terrified they’ll be.” My lower lip trembles.

“Ben said there’s a ball pit where Eric’s holding them. Maybe he’ll let them play in it?”

“You’re clasping at straws…,” I scoff, tears streaming down my cheeks. “He’ll have them locked in a room, so no one will know they’re there.”

A picture of Becca’s face, almost certainly contorted with terror, comes into my mind, and I start to sob uncontrollably.

Again, Daniel reaches for me.

I jump back, wiping the snot from my nose. “Don’t. You. Dare. Touch. Me.”

“You’re in shock, darling.” He shakes his head. “Remember I love you.”

The door to the hallway swings open, and Eleri appears, saving me from replying.

“Gabe would like a word with you,” she says to Daniel.

He answers with a small nod before turning on his heel and heading towards the living room.

Eleri wraps her arms around me, holding me while I cry. She pats my shoulders and makes soothing sounds.

I cry for my daughter.

I cry for Ben.

I cry for the man who has become a stranger to me.

My chest feels empty.

It hurts so bad.

Eventually, I’ve cried myself out. Eleri hands me the tissue she’s salvaged from her pocket. “Let’s go through to the kitchen and have a cup of tea.” She gives a half-smile as she takes my hand and pulls me along with her. “Nothing beats a nice cuppa when all seems lost.” She stops, catches her lip between her teeth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean the last bit. All is not lost.” She tucks a curl behind her ear. “I just can’t believe Eric would do what he did.”

She plugs in the kettle and puts teabags into two mugs. Then she opens the fridge and retrieves a bottle of milk before fetching the sugar bowl from the counter.

The hot, sweet drink warms my insides, but my heart still feels cold.

Cold as a stone.

I shuffle my feet on the granite tiled floor.

“Kidnapping two innocent children and holding them for ransom goes beyond vile. It’s disgusting.” I shudder.

She nods her agreement. “Gabe took Eric at face value. He deceived us by giving false information about Daniel for the background check. We’re freaking furious that someone with organised crime connections has been living here, putting us and our kids in danger.”

So many secrets.

I was willing to wait to hear those secrets, I remind myself; I was so desperate to play. This is just as much my fault as Daniel’s.

God, if something happens to Becca I’ll never be able to forgive myself.

I scrunch up my forehead. “I remember Daniel’s wife’s murder being reported in the press, now that I think about it. It was headline news for a few weeks then the newspapers dropped the story.”

“Yeah, Gabe told us he recalled the incident. He didn’t recognise Alexei from the photographs, because of his beard.”

Alexei.

A shiver slices through me.

There’s a knock at the door, and Rosie comes in. “Sorry to disturb you, but the kids are worrying about Ben and Becca. I don’t know what to say to them…”

Eleri pushes back her chair. “I’ll go and settle them. Tell them everything’s going to be alright.”

Everything’s going to be alright.

I hold onto those words as I make my way back to the living room.

The men are sitting around the coffee table, and the atmosphere is so thick with testosterone you could slice it with a knife.

But they stand politely like well-brought up schoolboys as I enter the room.

I lower myself into an armchair and they all sit.

The lights have been switched on as it’s turning dark outside. There’s a chill in the air as the central heating hasn’t clicked on yet and no one has bothered to light the fire.

I stare at the botanical prints hanging on the walls, then switch my gaze to stare at the men, one after the other.

Gleb stares back at me, while the others look away.

His mesmerising eyes pierce me, and my mouth goes dry.

If I thought Daniel a brute once, this man is a thousand times worse.

I lift my chin and return his stare.

His gaze burns me, but I want to give him the finger.

Fuck you, Gleb Sokolov.

Fuck you for causing Daniel to be lured away from his son.

I sit on my hands to stop myself from flying out of my chair and scratching at his penetrating blue eyes.

Silence hangs like a noose in the air between us. I think about everything I’ve learnt in the last several minutes.

Have Daniel and his brother told me the whole story?

A sudden thought occurs to me, like a light-bulb moment. “Ben said there’s a ball pit where they’re being held,” I blurt out.

“Yes,” Daniel’s face assumes a thoughtful expression. “Eric wouldn’t let them play in it.”

“Remember the ball pit at the King’s Head?” My voice wavers. “It’s within the right distance for Eric to have taken them there before you contacted him.”

“It’s a long shot.” Daniel presses his lips together.

“I think we should call the police,” Luke says, running his fingers through his tousled hair. “They’re professionals. They’ll be able to check it out.”

“We’d have to come clean about the ransom if we called them.” Gleb’s voice is chilling. “Not going to happen.”

His bodyguard stands and, almost casually, lets his jacket fall open.

Christ, there’s a gun holster strapped across his chest!!!

My heart thuds and I feel the blood drain from my face.