“I am so sorry I slept the whole time.” I pile eggs and bacon onto Jake and Owen’s plates.

Chuckling, Jake sits down at the table, while Owen stands and eats by the window. “It’s okay, Ellie. You’re pregnant. I want you to take it easy.”

Scoffing, I grab my plate and join him. “Seriously? I’m not a porcelain doll. I can still hike, run, and have fun.”

“Yes, you can do all those things,” he says with a wink, “but you need your sleep.”

Owen’s been quiet all morning. “What’s wrong, Owen?”

Brows furrowed, he takes a bite of bacon and then looks down at me. “I don’t know, Ells. Today doesn’t feel right for some reason.”

My body shivers. “I don’t like the sound of that.” Then again, it’s almost as if I can feel what he’s talking about. There’s a tension in the air; it’s dark and electric.

Jake finishes his food and clears his throat. “Which is why we need to be alert today.” He kisses my cheek and gets up to take his plate to the sink. “I’m going out back to check out the mountain. How long would you say the trail is?” he asks Owen.

“Not far. Probably around six miles.”

“All right.” Jake dries off his hands. “I’m going to get ready.” He hurries upstairs, and I’m left at the table, wishing like hell he’d just stay with me. I don’t want him going out there alone.

Owen sits beside me. “You look worried.”

I snort. “How can I not be? Jake’s a fighter, but I have no clue what he’ll be up against if someone tries to attack him. If he was in the ring, that’s one thing, but out in the wild is another. They could try to shoot him or come at him with a knife.” Jake’s boots pound on the stairs and I turn to watch him. He’s dressed in his thick, navy coat with a pistol in his hands. He tucks it in the holster on his pants and covers it up. “Are you sure you don’t want to just stay here?” I ask.

He nods over to the living room and I follow behind him. “Someone needs to go out there, Ellie. You’ll understand my reasoning soon.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I look at him like he’s lost his mind.

His fingers brush the hair off my face. “I can’t explain right now. Just do me a favor and take this,” he says, handing me my Glock 19. “Don’t let it out of your sight. I’m serious.”

The cold metal seeps into my skin as I take it. “Jake, I—”

He cuts me off with a kiss. “I love you, Ellie. Don’t forget that. I promise I’ll be okay.”

My eyes burn, but I kiss him back before he walks out the door. I watch him trudge through the snow toward the mountain and disappear through the trees. Owen stops behind me and I can see his reflection in the window. “He’ll be fine, Ells. Jake’s a big boy.” He taps the gun. “It’s probably not a bad idea for you to keep this on you.” I nod and place it on the windowsill.

“Why is this happening?” I say, mumbling the words to myself. “I shouldn’t have to be here right now. What I don’t understand is what is this person trying to gain by coming after me? Yes, they want me, but what would make them think that this is how they could get me to change my mind?” Squeezing my eyes shut, I can just picture what they’ll force me to do. “If something were to happen to you or Jake, I wouldn’t be able to live through it.”

“Hey,” Owen snaps, turning me around to face him. “No one’s going to take you away. I can promise you that.”

“Will you please go after him?” I beg. “I don’t want him out there alone. You both said it yourself, something isn’t right. What if someone’s out there?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you.”

I grab his arms. “Please, Owen. He’s not trained to be quiet and sneak around like you. And if Bryan is the one coming, he’ll be able to put a bullet in Jake’s head before he even knows Bryan’s there.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, he finally gives in. “Fine, I’ll go. You have your gun, so use it if anyone tries to break in.”

“Thank you,” I breathe, feeling the relief.

He rushes upstairs and comes down carrying a small, black gun case, before running out the door. “Lock it behind me,” he shouts. I lock the door and retreat to the living room. There’s an antique beige chair in the corner, so I sit there with my gun in my lap. This way, no one can sneak up behind me.

---

An hour passes and then another. My heart is racing, and I’m starving. Not to mention, I really have to use the bathroom. Placing a hand on my stomach, I smile. “You hungry, little one? It’s hard to believe I’ll get to see you in a few months. Hopefully, we’ll be in Arizona with not a care in the world.”

I have no clue how far along I am, but I know it can’t be more than six weeks. The morning sickness is probably not far from starting, but I don’t care. I’ll suffer through anything to be able to hold my own child and watch him or her grow.

Everything is silent as I look around. The sun is hiding behind a blanket of clouds, making everything outside gray. It’s ominous and eerie. Gun in hand, I hurry to the bathroom, before stopping in the kitchen. I slice up an apple and slap a heaping spoonful of peanut butter on the side of the plate.

It’s then someone grabs me around the waist, holding my arms against my sides, and cups their hand over my mouth. Panic and adrenaline course through my veins and I scream, thrashing my body against the man behind me. My elbow jabs him in the side and he grunts in pain. It’s in that moment, I recognize who it is.

“Ellie, calm down,” he pleads, holding me tighter. I try to elbow him again, but I can’t move. Tears stream down my cheeks and I feel helpless. I can’t fight him off. “Ellie, please. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll let you go, if you promise not to scream or run off. I’ll even let you get your gun, if that makes you feel better.”

His words catch me off guard. My gun is on the counter, so all I have to do is grab it once he lets me go. His grip loosens, and he removes his hand over my mouth.

“Okay,” I reply, voice shaky. “Let me go.” As soon as he does, I grab my gun and whirl around, pointing it right at his chest. “It was you all along, wasn’t it?”

Bryan holds up his hands and steps back. I haven’t seen him in years, but he still looks the same. His dark blond hair is a little longer on top and messy, and his gray eyes are still bright and striking. It’s hard to believe he could be a killer.

Shaking his head, he stares right into my eyes. “It’s not me, Ellie. I know you don’t trust me, but I’m here to help. The Canadian police are on their way, and I need to know where Jake and Owen are.”

“What if you’re lying and want to kill them both, so you can take me?” I counter, finger sliding over the trigger.

His gaze saddens. “I’m sorry you think that of me. Maybe once this is all over, you’ll think differently. If I wanted to abduct you, I could’ve had you out of here in a split second. No one would be able to find you after that.” I can see the truth on his face and feel it in the air between us. Huffing, he steps toward the front door, a sense of urgency splaying across his face. “We’re running out of time, Ellie. Where’d they go?”

Swallowing hard, I set my gun down and point toward the back of the house. “They’re on the mountain.”

He nods once. “Thanks. The police will be here soon, so stay here.”

As soon as he runs off, it takes a few seconds for everything to register. I can’t just stand back, not knowing what’s going on. Grabbing my coat, I slip it on and rush out the door, gun in hand. I need answers and I’m going to get them.