“Rope too tight? That’s easy to fix. Twist one way and it loosens.” He demonstrated and Lacey sucked in a deep breath. “Twist the other way and it tightens.” Her body shook in pain and he loosened the rope the littlest bit.

He pet her hair like she was a purring cat. She yanked her head away from his touch, gasping hoarsely as the movement crushed her windpipe.

“Ouch. Sounded like that hurt,” he said. “Maybe you should relax and let me do as I please.” His hand moved to her shoulder and slowly slipped forward toward her breast.

Her head frantically shook.

Angry, he tightened the rope a notch. “I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate.” His hand shot down, tenderness gone, twisting her breast and pinching until he heard her sob.

He loosened the rope the tiniest bit. It would be great to play with her for weeks.

“Fucking sick bastard.”

Robert jerked at the male voice. A shock of delight spread through him at the sight of the tall figure in the doorway with a gun pointed at him.

The situation had so utterly sweetened. It wouldn’t be Kelly to watch Lacey die; it would be Lacey’s boyfriend.

Perfect.

Lacey stared.

Jack had come for her. He’d figured it out and found her. And forced himself to pick up a gun to defend her. Her eyes burned hot. He looked so good. Tall, handsome, and utterly pissed off, his jaw rock-hard. She briefly closed her eyes at the waves of love flowing through her. “Oh, Lord,” her lips silently moved. She hadn’t known. She hadn’t known she’d fallen in love with the bullheaded man. She hadn’t thought she could cry anymore, but two tears tracked down her cheeks.

He was going to get himself killed.

Not now, not when she’d just figured out what he meant to her. She shook her head at him, scraping her sore throat against the rope. Trying silently to tell him to leave. He hadn’t shot a gun in years. He was risking too much. Jack ignored her, his focus on the scum at her back.

“The way I see it, I shoot you in the head and we’re done, Bobby.”

The rope tightened and Lacey saw stars.

“Don’t call me that. I’m Robert now.” He complained like a spoiled child. Through her haze, Lacey picked up on the immature reaction. Bobby hated his childhood name.

“You shoot and you’ll hit her first.”

Lacey felt Bobby duck his head behind hers to demonstrate. “You don’t shoot, and she dies as you watch. You’ll never get her out of here alive.” Bobby gestured to the walls of the cabin. Lacey gasped, spotting the tiny wires that crisscrossed every smooth surface.

He’d rigged the cabin to burn.

Jack’s eyes widened at something behind her. She turned her head the slightest bit and peered out of the corner of her eye, stretching her peripheral vision. Bobby was holding a small remote control in his hand.

She didn’t think it was for a TV.

“Fuck! God damned fucking idiot!”

Pattison’s face turned a dark shade of red, and Mason wondered how high the man’s diastolic pressure was.

“Your boyfriend just walked in the front door of the cabin. Bold as brass. He’s gonna get himself killed.”

Mason silently cheered for Harper, the arrogant prick, and then cursed him for his foolishness. Sticking his nose in police business, making the situation more deadly. Thinking with his cock instead of his head.

“Then what happened?” Ray’s voice sounded strangled; he was probably thinking the same. Gotta admire the man for pure stupid guts.

“Nothing. No sound from the place. Your civilian was armed too.” Pattison turned accusing eyes on the pair of detectives. “You didn’t tell me he was packing.”

“Didn’t know.” Mason shrugged. “He was a cop.”

Mason raised a brow at Ray, and his partner’s gaze dropped. Ray’d known and kept it to himself. Mason pressed his lips together. He wasn’t going to blast his partner in front of General Patton. He’d blister him later in private.

Pattison kicked the tire of the SWAT truck. “Now I’ve got two God damned hostages to get out of there. Shit!”

Robert prided himself on being flexible and well prepared. His situation had just taken an abrupt turn and he would handle it. He’d pictured himself in this exact situation, holding a hostage with a gun trained on his head. But he’d always thought it’d be a cop holding the gun. Not a boyfriend.

Well, the man used to be a cop. Cop and boyfriend in one. Delicious.

Harper’s brows narrowed as he registered the stupidity of his actions. He’d spotted the wired walls and remote detonator. Bet Harper wasn’t feeling so smart now. One should always explore and think through every action before implementing it.

Running off half-cocked gets you in deep shit. Like right now.

A rush of power swelled in Robert’s chest. He’d outsmarted everyone.

He felt Lacey twist her head, and he tightened his rope the slightest bit. She froze. He had control of the entire situation. His thumb played with the button on his detonator. A very small twinge of sorrow flashed at the inevitable loss of this home. So much had happened here. So much he’d learned here.

He crushed the feelings and smiled at Jack. “Face it, Harper. You can’t both get out of here alive. Turn around and leave and one of you survives.”

“You’ll die too.”

Did he think he was stupid? “No shit, Sherlock. But death doesn’t scare me. If that’s what it takes, then that’s what I’ll do. Either way I’ll never be forgotten.”