CHAPTER 1
Natalie hummed “Rock-a-byeBaby” while rocking in the wooden chair she’d picked up from a garage sale that morning.Bray lay snuggled in her arms, his stuffed dog tight in his grasp and his white fluffy blanket wrapped around him.
The chair wasn’t as nice as the one she’d left behind at Keetan’s, and the wood dug into her spine, but Bray was happy to have their rocking routine back.They’d both missed it.
Bray fell asleep quickly, making her even happier she’d taken him swimming at the indoor public pool earlier.
She stood and, in the darkness of their shared bedroom, moved to the wall where his crib waited.She lay him on the thin mattress and he immediately flipped onto his tummy and sighed.
Sweeping her hand over his dark curls, she felt her heart ache.Leaving their home two weeks ago had been tough, but he’d finally settled in their new space.
And he hadn’t even asked about Keetan.
She slipped out of the room and shut the door.In the living room, she lowered herself to the sofa.The apartment had come partially furnished, and the owner had been nice enough to pull an old crib out of storage for her.
She’d finally broken away from Keetan.She was still in disbelief that she no longer had to walk on eggshells.She didn’t have to count the hours until he went to work, or dodge him when he was home.She also didn’t have to pretend to fall asleep with Bray so he couldn’t try to get in her pants.
Keetan’s lack of response to her leaving him had her reeling, though.She’d fled while he was at work, and aside from a nasty text message sent when he finished his shift to find them gone, she hadn’t heard from him.
It was unsettling.Because Keetan was a loudmouth.A hothead.Someone who needed to unleash on people just to get his point across.Other than that one text, there’d been none of that.
Maybe he’d moved on to another woman—god, that’d be fantastic.Not for the new lady, but for Natalie and Bray, it’d be a dream.
She curled her feet under her and picked up her phone.A text message lit the screen.She tensed and looked.Keetan.
Dammit, she should’ve blocked him.She opened the message.
Last chance, bitch.You know what I can do and I’ll fucking do it.
Fear punched her in the gut.Her fingers trembled as she typed a message then deleted it.There was no way to defuse him.She had no choice but to call his bluff.She looked at the time the message had been sent—almost an hour ago.She’d left her phone in the living room while doing Bray’s bedtime routine and hadn’t heard the text come in.
Bang,bang,bang!
“Police, open up!”
All the blood drained from her face.Her heart beat in triple time, and she rose to her feet.She wrapped one arm around her waist and with her free hand toyed with the neckline of her T-shirt.
Her gaze shot to the hallway.Bray hadn’t woken, and she didn’t want him to be scared.Keetan would be furious if she didn’t open the door, but doing so would only make Bray and her vulnerable.
She inched her way carefully to the door, feeling as though she were walking a burning path to hell.Could he have actually called the cops?It’d been his voice, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t reported her.After all, it was what he’d been promising to do for the last ten years.
“I know you’re there, Natalie.”His voice drifted through the crack in the door.“I can fucking smell you.”
Panic rooted her feet to the floor.He couldn’t see her.Certainly couldn’t smell her.But he still paralyzed her.She pressed her hand against the wall next to the front door to steady herself.She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as terror slapped her around between fight, flight, or freeze.
Summoning all of her strength, she pulled back her shoulders.She was the only person standing between Bray and a madman—she couldn’t cower.“You need to leave, Keetan.”She forced steel into her voice.“Bray’s asleep.We can talk tomorrow.”
A low, gruff laugh sounded.“Oh, I’m not going anywhere, baby,” he crooned.His voice was so close he might as well be in her ear.
Ice-cold terror coated her skin.She backed away and ran to the couch, where she’d left her phone.Calling 911 was a last resort, but here she was.Her thumb fumbled to unlock the screen.
Bam!
The door bounced on its hinges.She let out a sharp squeak.
Bam!
Bray shrieked a terrified wail, startled from his slumber.Instinct ripped her in two.The need to run to her baby and comfort him was great, but the need to protect him greater.If she went to his room, Keetan would go there looking for her.If he found her right there, he might leave Bray alone.She might even be able to talk him down.
