Several hours later, Hannah sat at the end of the couch, her arms wrapped around her belly, a soft blanket over her lap. It was after midnight, and all the kids were in sleeping bags, watching a Disney movie she had seen way too many times.

Everyone was camping out in the family room for the night. Chase had decided that he could protect everyone best if they were in the same room, and no one had argued. The mood was tense, because Dane's contact from the airport hadn't been able to locate Rick or his brother. They'd been on board when the plane had landed, but no one had been able to track them since.

Where was he? On his way? Passed out drunk in the airplane bathroom?

Nausea churned in Hannah's belly as she thought of Maddox and the Harts sitting in her house, holding themselves out as bait to the man who had already murdered her sister. She saw Ava glance her way, and she managed to smile. Ava smiled back, then returned her focus to Bridgette, Lissa's daughter, who was lying next to her, and had instantly become Ava's idol.

The couch moved as Lissa sat down next to her. "They look like they're best friends already."

Hannah shifted uncomfortably, but there was no way to move away from Lissa without making it obvious. "Ava needs a friend. It's beautiful to see them together."

"Seems like her mom needs one as well."

Hannah's cheeks heated up, and she suddenly felt like the pathetic loser she'd been as a kid, the one she had fought so hard not to be anymore. "I'm fine, thanks."

Lissa sighed. "Hannah. It's not a crime to need help. It's not a crime to need friends. It's also not a crime to admit that you're barely hanging on by a thread."

Hannah stiffened, and didn't take her eyes off the children. "I know it's not a crime."

"Do you? Do you really?"

There was something in Lissa's voice that drew Hannah's attention. Slowly, almost painfully, she pulled her gaze off the kids and looked over at the woman sitting beside her. Lissa smiled right away, a warm, kind smile that made Hannah's heart tighten. "You remind me of Katie," Hannah whispered. "She was always so nice to everybody. She had more friends than anyone I had ever met in my life."

Lissa raised her brows. "Remember how I told you that I got pregnant when I was seventeen? My boyfriend ditched me, my sister had already died in a drunk driving accident, and my mom had had such a miserable life. No one even wanted me in the same room as them for fear that I would contaminate them and ruin their lives forever."

Hannah's eyebrows shot up, because she heard the ring of truth in Lissa's words. "Really?"

Lissa nodded. "I left town when I was seventeen and pregnant, because the town basically exiled me. I had absolutely nobody, and I was about to become a mom. It was the absolute lowest time in my life, so I know what it's like to feel alone, lost, and have no idea how to ask for help. I know what it's like not to believe that anyone would actually hold out a hand to me, and that it would be offered in genuine kindness, with the honest hope that I would reach out and take it."

Tears suddenly flooded Hannah's eyes, and she pulled her gaze away, fixing her attention on a blank spot on the wall across the room. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said softly. "It sucks."

"Yes, it does."

Lissa didn't say anything else as silence settled between them. Hannah shifted restlessly, uncomfortable with the silence, needing to fill it. "Are you happy now?" As she asked the question, she snuck a sidelong glance at Lissa. She knew that Lissa had seemed happy, but somehow, she needed to hear it from her. She needed to hear that somebody who had once been completely alone, without any family, had truly found her way out of that darkness into light.

Lissa's face lit up. "Every single day I wake up with a smile in my heart. I'm engaged to the most amazing man, who loves me and my daughter with every last bit of his soul. I'm part of his extended family, who would do absolutely anything for me or my daughter, no matter what the cost to them. It is the most beautiful thing to be part of this community. I didn't even know what it meant to have a family, until I met Travis and became part of the Stockton clan."

Envy flickered through Hannah, a deep, painful yearning, not only for the family that Lissa had, but for the ability to embrace it and let it into her heart. That envy was quickly followed by a slash of guilt, because she knew that Maddox wasn't coming back, and his family would be deprived of him because of her. "I have to tell you something."

Lissa's eyebrows went up, and she nodded. "You're in love with Maddox, right? I knew it."

Hannah's mouth dropped open. "What? I didn't say—"

"You didn't have to say anything." Lissa beamed at her. "He so needs you in his life. I never thought he would let himself fall in love, but when I saw the way he kissed you when you guys were sitting on the couch, I knew that it had happened. I'm so happy for you both. I love watching him with Ava. He loves your little girl the same way Travis loves mine. I'll tell you, the Stocktons make the best dads—"

"Stop it!" Longing shot through Hannah, a longing so intense she could barely breathe. She'd seen Maddox with Ava as well, and she knew exactly what kind of a dad he would be. "He doesn't believe in himself," she said. "And I made it worse. He called the Harts, and I got mad. He's not coming back, Lissa. He wants to give his family to me, and he's not coming back."

Lissa frowned, and sat up. "Slow down. Explain to me exactly what happened."

The story quickly poured out of Hannah, faster than she would've expected. She wasn't used to confiding in anyone, but this woman who was so kind, who had come from such a dark place, who somehow understood where she was, asked just the right questions, with no judgment, only caring. Sentence after sentence tumbled out, until Hannah was crying, barely able to explain everything that had happened over the last few days between her and Maddox. By the time she finished, Lissa was hugging her, holding her as tightly as she used to hold Katie when they were little.

"Hey, hey, hey." Lissa's voice was gentle, not judging. "It's not your fault, sweetie. It takes a lot to get one of these Stockton men over their past enough for them to be willing to take a chance on a woman. The fact he was willing to walk away from his brothers tells me exactly how much he loves you."

Hannah nodded, exhausted from crying. "I know he does, and I thought that I could get him to give me a chance, but I blew it when I got mad at him. I said things that I can never fix."

Lissa laughed softly. "Of course you can fix them. But, I agree, that it's not going to be easy to make Maddox come around. I don't know what to tell you."

"I do." They both looked up to find Chase standing over them. He was frowning, his brow furrowed.

Lissa glared at him. "How long have you been listening?"

"As soon as Hannah started crying, I came over." Chase looked at her, empathy on his face. "It's not easy to love a Stockton. Maddox is especially difficult. He's got a lot of baggage."

Hannah shrugged. "I know that. And I made it worse." She looked at Chase. "He's not coming back to the ranch. It's my fault. I know you just want your brother around, and I drove him away."

Chase sighed and sat down on the coffee table, bracing his forearms on his quads. "You didn't drive him away. He just used you as an excuse to do what he's been planning to do for a long time. He told me how you've shut out the Harts. It's the exact same thing he's done to us."

The couch on the other side of Lissa shifted, and Mira sat down. She smiled at Lissa. "Chase has worked hard to get Maddox more involved with the family for years, but he won't do it. He only comes back into town for brief visits, and he only stays as long as he needs to get something done. I don't think he was just giving his family to you. I think he was giving you to us. I think he figured by giving us something he loved, that it was almost the same thing as if he stayed with us."

Hannah looked around at the three people gazing at her, their faces full of kindness, warmth, and understanding. There was a complete lack of judgment on their faces. They weren't blaming her for Maddox's decision, and they also weren't blaming Maddox either. "But I drove him away."

"Because he was falling in love with you," Chase said. "That's scary as hell to all of us." He grinned at Mira. "Scared the hell out of me when I fell in love with you."

She smiled. "I remember." She looked at Hannah. "The only reason Chase stayed was because he had made a promise he couldn't break. Otherwise, he would have left." She leaned forward. "Maddox believes he's a monster, Hannah. You're the only one who can prove to him he's not."

Hannah looked around at the small gathering. "How? I told him I loved him—" Her throat tightened, and she had to pause to gather herself. "And he was still going to leave. And then, I told him..." She didn't even want to say the words again. "I was hurt and scared to see the Harts," she whispered. "I struck out at him because I was terrified."

"And the bastard used that as an excuse to walk away." Chase sighed, his voice understanding. He pulled out his phone and handed it to Hannah. "Call him. Tell him that you love him. Tell him to stop the bullshit and come back here."

Hannah stared at the phone, her heart pounding. Could she really do that? Could she really just call Maddox and tell him that she loved him? What about the Harts? What about them?

Chase's phone suddenly rang, startling her. She jumped when she saw Maddox's name flash across the screen. Frozen, she stared at the screen, afraid to answer it. Lissa grabbed the phone, answered it, and then held it out to her. "Talk to him. He won't ever come back on his own. You have to reach across the chasm to get him."

Hannah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What was she supposed to say to him? Give him the same speech she'd already given him so many times, about how she believed in him? How many more times was she supposed to say the same thing, and get rejected? She shook her head. Her heart ached, but she knew she couldn't do it. "No. I can't."

Lissa sighed in frustration, and hit the speaker on the phone. "Hey, Maddox. What's going on over there?"

There was a long silence, too long. Chills suddenly crept down Hannah's spine, and she looked sharply at Lissa, who was frowning.

Then a voice came on the line, a voice that made fear grip her chest. "Put Hannah on the phone."

Rick. Fear gripped her so tightly she couldn't breathe. God, she remembered that voice, that chilling voice as he'd threatened her when he'd passed her in the courtroom after her testimony. Why did he have Maddox's phone? Maddox. Her heart thundering in terror, she snatched the phone from Lissa. "Rick?"

Lissa sucked in her breath, and Mira leapt off the couch, racing across the room to get Chase, who had walked off to talk to Steen.

Hannah just sat there, gripping the phone so tightly her hand cramped.

"Get the fuck over here or your boyfriend dies."

She swallowed, her mouth so dry she could barely talk. "Over where?" she whispered hoarsely. "Where are you?"

"At your fucking house. You sent your boyfriend and four other assholes to take care of your problem? Well, guess what? They are now your problem. If you don't get your ass over here in twenty minutes, I'm going to start shooting them."

Hannah went cold. "Rick, don't—"

Chase crouched beside her, bending his head to speak into the phone. "Put Maddox on the phone."

"Sure." There was a scuffling sound, and then Hannah heard a grunt of pain. Then she heard Maddox's voice.

"Keep Hannah away from here—"

There was the sound of a fist hitting something, and then Maddox grunted.

Hannah gasped. "Maddox—"

"He's not available at the moment." Rick came back on the line. "Twenty minutes, Hannah. If you bring anyone else, they will all die, and you can blame yourself. If the cops show up, they die. But you are all I want, so if you get over here, I won't hurt them. Twenty minutes, bitch." Then the phone went dead.

The only sound in the room was the television blaring. The kids were oblivious, watching the movie, but the adults were all staring at her. Hannah handed the phone back to Chase. "I'll go."

"Fuck that." Chase shook his head. "No way. We're all going—"

"And then what? Maddox and my brothers were waiting for him, and he still took them all by surprise. There were five of them, and there are only three of you. What if you leave here, and he comes after the kids?" She shook her head. "No. No. No. This is my problem—"

"No way." Chase's voice was low and hard. "There's no chance that we're leaving Maddox to handle this on his own." He grabbed his phone and called Dane, talking low and quickly.

But Hannah knew there was no other way to save Maddox and the Harts. Rick wanted her. Her. Maddox's only chance was if she showed up there. But Rick wanted to kill her. How could she walk in there?

She pictured herself walking into that cabin, into Rick's trap. Into a cabin that held five men she loved dearly, men who meant everything to her, a realization she'd understood too late, so achingly late.

Five men who had grown up rough and rugged, surviving against odds that no one could defeat...except them. Men she believed in. Men she believed in.

She suddenly stood up, shooting a quick smile at Ava as she walked over to Chase, who was still on the phone. "Give me the phone."

He raised his brows, but silently handed her the phone. She immediately hung up on Dane, and called Maddox's phone back.

As she expected, Rick answered the phone. She didn't wait for the threat from him. "Let me talk to Brody."

"You're wasting time, bitch."

A chill ran down her spine at the threat in his words. "You said you wanted me, right? You're going to get me, but I need to make sure that everyone I care about is still alive when I get there. You know that I want to see you hang, and if I think you've already killed everybody, then I'm not coming. Let me talk to Brody." She was taking a chance, but she would never forget the pure venom in Rick's eyes as he glared at her across the courtroom. He would not want to let her go.

After a moment, the voice of the man she'd always considered her brother, even though she hadn't let him take that claim came on the phone. "Hey, Shorty. Long time no talk."

Tears filled her eyes at the sound of the voice she hadn't acknowledged in so long. "What's the color?" It was the same question that the gang of teenage runaways had set up so long ago as part of their escape plans if things went bad. Red meant walk away. Red meant it didn't matter how great the loss was, it didn't matter how many things were at stake, because all that was left was survival. Red meant the only choice was to leave everything behind.

Green meant, obviously, all clear. Dance in the streets. Sing songs.

Yellow was the one she was hoping for. Yellow meant that shit had hit the fan, but there was still a chance. Maddox would tell her to walk away. Maddox would want to protect her completely, which was why he had shut her out from his own life.

The Harts had a different code. The Harts believed that every single one of them was worth saving. The Harts believed that there was always a chance as long as there was at least one of them still on the outside, still breathing the air of freedom, still available to figure out a way. No one was sacrificed, not on the inside, not on the outside. Everyone protected everyone, which meant that Brody saw her as an ally, not a weak female who couldn't fend for herself. If Brody thought it would be suicide for her to walk in there, he would give her the red light. But if there was an opening, he would take it, and he would tell her to take it, too.

He answered easily. "It's sunshine all the way, baby."

She closed her eyes, gripping the phone. Yellow. "What do I do?" she whispered.

"It's a full house—"

Before he could finish, Rick was back on the phone. "Get your ass over here, Hannah. I start shooting off body parts in nineteen minutes."

Her hands were shaking now, but she kept her voice calm. "I'm leaving now, but I can't drive fast because of the snow. I need thirty minutes."

"Where are you? I'll send my brother to come get you."

Hannah looked around the room full of people she didn't want to endanger. "No. Thirty minutes or it's over." He didn't know where she was. He had to wait for her to tell him. She knew she had the upper hand, and she was going to use it...just like little Alfred had done to save Fluffy. He'd found his strength, and suddenly, for the first time in her life, she felt strong, too.

Rick snarled, but she knew she would win. His need for revenge was too unrelenting. "Fine, thirty minutes, but if you call again, or if you're late, I start shooting."

He hung up, and she took a deep breath. She handed the phone to Chase. "I got Dane thirty minutes. Tell him to save the men I love. I'm going to the bathroom." She turned away and walked down the hall toward the room she'd been in with Maddox.

She shut the door, walked over to the window, and hoisted the sash. The snow was deep, too freaking deep. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she thought of Katie, of Maddox, of the Harts, of Ava, and she knew that she was done hiding, done running away, done being afraid.

Maybe Maddox's story about Alfred and Fluffy had been for her, not Ava.

She climbed up onto the windowsill, scooched out on her bum, then dropped down into the snow. The snow came almost to her waist, an icy cold landing that sucked the air from her lungs. It took several precious minutes to flounder out of the snow into the plowed driveway, but once she was free, she raced across the driveway to Maddox's truck and opened the door.

The keys were still in the ignition, exactly as he'd left them. Her heart pounding, she swung up into the truck, slammed the door shut, and started the engine. She waited for a split second, expecting the Stocktons to come rushing out the front door, but nothing happened.

She realized the movie was playing too loudly, drowning out the noise from the truck's engine. Whispering a prayer of thanks, she shifted into drive and swung the truck around in a circle, and then headed down the driveway.

She left the headlights off until she had rounded the bend, and then she turned on the headlights, and hit the accelerator.