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They both heard the crunch of tires outside, and Jacob's face tightened. "Get in the bathroom."

She didn't move from the doorway of the bathroom. "Give me a gun."

"You good with it?"

"Yes."

He strode across the room and gave her one of his guns. As he handed it over, they heard the sound of car doors slamming. Multiple doors. "Son of a bitch." He turned to Phoebe. "I'm staying inside until my siblings get here. Once they're here, I'm going outside to deal with him. You stay in that bathroom. Got it?"

She nodded, then put her hand on his arm. "Jacob."

"What?"

"You're not a little boy anymore. You're a powerful, wealthy man with a big, badass family at his back. He can't do anything to you anymore. Do you hear me?"

He stared at her for a long moment, then he took a deep breath. "I hear you. Thanks." He leaned in and kissed her, quick and hard, but with so much emotion. He pulled back. "You fucking stay safe," he said, his voice rough.

"Of course." She waved her gun. "I'm a badass. It's all good."

"All right." He gestured for her to step into the bathroom. This time, she did. He didn't move away until she locked the door.

Then he lightly bumped his fist against the door. "You got your phone?"

"Yep."

"Call or text me if you need me, but don't trust any texts from me. Only my voice, only that one phrase."

She leaned her head against the door. "Got it. Be safe out there, Jacob."

But he didn't answer.

He'd already moved away from the door.

All she could do was wait.

She looked at her precious babies laying on the floor, and then at the gun in her hand. Suddenly, she knew she couldn’t stay with Jacob. She had enough danger stalking her and Annie. No matter how much she fell for Jacob, there was no way she could bring more danger into Annie's life. She owed her daughter a better life than that.

Sudden tears surged into Phoebe's eyes, and she blinked them away.

There would be time for tears later. Right now, she was back where she'd been long ago, ready for someone to try to kill her.

She sat on the edge of the tub, between the door and her babies, held the gun at the ready, and waited.

And tried not to think of the man she definitely was falling in love with out there, alone, with a man who had terrorized him so long ago.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jacob stood in his living room, facing his front door, his body between the front door and the bathroom. He could see the back door from where he was, so he was at the center.

His doorbell rang, and he tensed.

His fucking father. He'd been out of prison for hours, which meant he'd known all along who Jacob Hart was, and he'd had a plan in place to come after him.

Jacob didn't move toward the door. Right now, he was in a defensive position only until he got backup.

He waited, the seconds ticking by excruciatingly slowly.

The doorbell rang again.