Anna-Grace glanced frantically over the room, confused by how one of the men had gotten free of Ari’s hold. But when her gaze settled on Ari, she understood. Ari had collapsed under the enormous strain of maintaining the barrier around Eliza and the captors pinned to the wall. All but the man with a choke hold on Anna-Grace were subdued.

Everyone froze and time stood still as the DSS agents stared warily at the man holding Anna-Grace. Beau hovered protectively over Ari even as his gaze was directed outward to detect any threat to his wife.

It didn’t escape Anna-Grace that the man crushing her against him had her positioned so that no one could safely make a kill shot without risking shooting her in the process. He’d lifted her so that only the tips of her toes touched the floor and his head was behind hers.

“If anyone moves, she dies,” the man growled.

It was then she registered the cool metal of a knife between his forearm and her chin. The edge was against her throat, so close that blood seeped from the shallow wound inflicted by the blade.

And his thoughts were broadcast in her mind as if he spoke them aloud. He would absolutely kill her. If he died, he was taking her with him. In fact, he considered his death inevitable. He didn’t truly believe he’d escape unscathed. His resolve to exact a small measure of vengeance before he drew his last breath was as clear as a beacon.

Terror paralyzed her. She was so scared that she didn’t even feel the nick of the blade. She was numb because she didn’t see a way out of this. The others couldn’t make a move or he’d slice through her neck. And Ari was out of commission, so she couldn’t wield her deadly powers on this man.

“Give us the woman and you go free,” Dane said, his features stony, eyes sparking with rage. “All we want are the two women. Let her go and you walk.”

Her captor barked out a harsh laugh. “Do you think I’m stupid? She’s my only insurance. If I let her go, I die. That’s not going to happen. What is going to happen is that she and I are slowly going to leave. No one is to follow us. If even one of you takes so much as a step, she’s dead. When I get to my vehicle, I’ll let her go.”

But Anna-Grace could clearly read his thoughts. He had no intention of letting her go. If he actually succeeded in getting to his vehicle—and doubt was still strong in him—he planned to slice her throat when they got to his car and then he would escape.

She sent panicked looks in the others’ direction, silently pleading with them not to believe him. Not to let him take her. If they did, she was dead. God, she was dead no matter what because either way, whichever of the two possibilities prevailed, freedom or death, she wouldn’t live. She closed her eyes in despair and suddenly wished with all her heart that she could have seen Zack one more time. That she’d given him more of a chance to explain—to defend—his part in her rape.

She opened her eyes again, but the room was blurred by the sheen of tears welling in her vision.

Wade gave a nearly imperceptible nod as if to say he understood. The others didn’t look as though they believed the lie, even without her trying to convey his intentions.

Everyone was frozen in place. It was as if they were all holding their breaths. Anna-Grace didn’t dare breathe too deeply. If she did, the blade would slide deeper into her flesh. And then she began to shake.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to rein in her utter terror. She couldn’t lose it now. One wrong move and she’d end up killing herself with no help from the asshole holding the knife against her throat.

“Just take it easy and let up on the knife a bit there,” Dane said in a controlled tone.

His words had the opposite effect because the man tightened his arm around her neck until she was wheezing for air.

And then the strangest thing happened. The man behind her jerked. His arm flew away from her throat and the knife fell off her skin but as he dragged his arm over her shoulder, the blade sliced just under her shoulder blade. Fire lanced through her veins and she let out a cry.

She registered the warmth of blood sliding down her back and her knees buckled. She went down, landing atop the man who’d been holding her at knifepoint.

The room burst into action and through her hazy consciousness she heard a single, explosive word.

“Gracie!”

THIRTY-TWO

ZACK watched in abject horror as the knife sliced down Gracie’s back, blood immediately welling, bright red and rapidly staining her shirt. Dear God, what had he done? He was sure he could make the kill shot without endangering Gracie. He had the advantage of no one knowing he was there and so he’d set up the perfect angle. The only area he had a clear path to make a head shot was through the temple so there was no chance of a bullet penetrating Gracie from the front.

And he’d fucked it up. She’d been knifed anyway.

Around him the room erupted as his teammates scrambled to assess the injuries to Eliza and Ari. But Gracie was Zack’s alone. No one else would touch her.

He ran full out toward where Gracie lay atop the man who’d hurt her. He had to force himself to calm his seething rage because Gracie needed tenderness. But he wanted to kill the motherfucker all over again. Wanted to rip him apart piece by piece for putting his hands on what was Zack’s.

He fell to his knees beside Gracie and hovered anxiously over her, putting himself in her line of sight. Her eyes were open, but she looked fuzzy and unaware. In shock. Not to mention she was bleeding like a stuck pig.

He touched her cheek with a featherlight caress.

“Gracie?” he said, worry and fear making her name nearly inaudible.

But she must have heard because her gaze tracked to his until finally she found him.

He lifted her hand and pressed his mouth to her palm, so overcome he was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Hi,” she whispered. “When did you get here?”

“Not soon enough,” he said, unable to keep the bite from his voice.

He was still furious that Beau had allowed this. That he’d put Gracie in harm’s way.

She gave a half smile, her expression woozy. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I’d say you got here just in the nick of time.”

She became completely solemn.

“He was going to kill me no matter what.”

Zack closed his eyes. He didn’t register that he was shaking until Gracie made a small sound of pain and he realized he was still holding tightly to her hand and he was jarring her entire body, causing aggravation to her wound.