I watched the silver handles of the dresser rattle as the door was inched irrevocably forward. They rose and fell to the wood surface making a tinkle that was way too delicate for the current situation.

Then I heard them.

Quite possibly the best sound on the planet.

Sirens.

Quietly at first then louder.

The gap was wide enough now for the barrel of a gun to peak through into the closet. That black metal tube might have been the most frightening thing I’d ever experienced.

I worried it would gain enough purchase to turn and point at Rob. Then aim and pull the trigger and—

A curse rent the space, and the gun suddenly disappeared.

Footsteps pounded away from the closet, down the stairs, out across the back deck.

Blowing out a relieved breath, I started to rise to my knees.

Rob shook his head, placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me.

That was when I heard them.

Softer footfalls out of the bathroom, hitting the creaking step on the flight of stairs, slipping out the back door.

A chill slid down my spine, and my teeth chattered.

There was something immensely terrifying about the casual pace of the last intruder, as though they didn’t care about the police sirens bearing down on the house, that froze my blood.

I didn’t like it.

Didn’t like the feeling it gave me.

But I didn’t have a lot of time to process that emotion because there was a whole other series of crashing and banging and pounding footsteps.

“Police!” The dresser rattled again.

“Identify yourself!” Rob shouted.

“Rob?”

Rob sighed and stood. “Hayden,” he said to me. “Yup,” he called. “I’m going to move the dresser so we can come out.”

Sticking his gun into the waistband of his jeans, he shifted the set of drawers back and out of the way. Then he flicked on the light, waited a moment, seemingly to allow his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, and cracked the door.

I was still blinking against the spots of white in my vision when Hayden stuck his head into the closet.

“Everyone okay?” His gun was still drawn, but resting at his side.

“We’re fine,” Rob said. “I need to get Melissa out to the ranch and talk to Celeste.”

Hayden’s eyes cooled, flicked to me crawling my way out of the corner. “I think that—”

I ignored them both, trying to pretend the flicker of pain at the mention of her name didn’t actually hurt. I had clarity now, and while everything in our marriage wasn’t magically fixed or perfect or hell, even average at this point, I understood the situation better.

I was just storing all the information aside until later when I could decompress and process. When I wasn’t bra-less in a house filled with police officers who’d just managed to unwittingly scare away some men who wanted to seriously hurt us.

Or that was what I presumed, anyhow.

For now, I wanted to get the hell out of this house, get to Kelly’s and hug my kids tight.

I wanted to pretend that there wasn’t a drug ring the next town over. That my husband hadn’t disappeared on me, only to reappear and try to play shining knight.

I wanted to concentrate on the fact that I might have a shot at my dream and that Max might score a goal in his next soccer game, and that I was totally going to let Allie enter that equestrian tournament she’d been begging me about.

I was going to pretend my house wasn’t full of three broken doors, who knew how much shattered glass and ransacked drawers.

I was going to go and hug my kids.

Reaching up, I snagged my rattiest, coziest sweatshirt, yanked it from its hanger, and slipped it over my head.

“Let’s go,” I said, hobbling over to Rob.

“Miss.” He frowned, glancing down at my feet. “You shouldn’t—”

“We’re going,” I gritted out. “Now.”

I was a woman on the edge. I’d been pushed too far.

Terrorized in my own home. Twice. A husband who withheld information to protect me.

Yes, there were mental air quotes on that.

“Melissa—”

“Now, Rob, God dammit!”

I smiled sweetly at Hayden, even as I shoved past him rudely. I’d probably be embarrassed by my actions later.

But I’d. Had. Enough.

“Bye, Hayden.”

“Bye, Miss.”

Ouch. Ouch. Each step was ridiculously painful. I was probably due a pain pill, but I didn’t want to take the time. So I moved on my heels like some sort of deranged mummy and used every handhold and surface I could reach to help disperse my weight.

And I made it as far as the bathroom sink before I found myself slung up and over Rob’s shoulder.

I grunted as all the air whooshed out of my lungs. “What are you doing—?”

“I miss my sweet wife,” he muttered, navigating us to the bedroom and then down the stairs. “Where did she go?”

“You—” I fought his grip, nearly sending us both down the remaining steps.

Rob cursed, clamped me tighter against him, and finished the descent. “She used to be so easygoing, so caring. Now all I get is a fight.” Louder, he said, “McMann, I’m taking her to Kelly’s then I’ll come back to give a statement.”

“Roger that,” McMann responded, and I could hear the amusement in his tone.

Asshole.

Out the front door, down the porch steps, and Rob continued talking. “A nice wife. A family. All I ever wanted. All I ever needed. Instead I get this—”

He popped me on the ass.

The crack didn’t hurt, but it did make me see red.

And it made me do something I never thought I’d do.

I socked him.

Hard and right in the kidney.

“Oof.”

All of a sudden I was right side up, having made a not so gentle landing in the passenger seat of my minivan.

Rob rubbed his back, and though I felt guilty, I couldn’t bring myself to apologize.

After a moment, he crouched in front of me. His hands were on my knees, his eyes level with mine. “All I ever wanted was you, Miss.”

I turned my head away.

“I like it when you punch me.”

Shocked, my gaze whipped back to his.

“What—”

“I like it when you get angry.” His palm came up to cup my cheek. “I like it when you’re pissed off. I love it when you lecture me on the finer arts of baking powder versus baking soda.”

I sniffed, opened my mouth to retort—

His lips brushed mine, softly, gently, a barely-there caress that was gone almost before my brain processed it had happened.

“I like it when you’re angry because it means you care.”