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I t was happening tonight, and Harlow hadn’t been able to concentrate on work all day. She’d tried if for no other reason than to keep her mind from thinking of all the things that could go wrong.

Stop thinking the worst. Grayson would be safe. All he would be doing was taking pictures while Anthony was gone. In and out in a few minutes, Anthony none the wiser. She didn’t know how long it would take the FBI to get a search warrant after they got the evidence, but it had to be a matter of only a few days before she’d have her boy back.

Would he be happy to see her? That was a worry she’d tried to ignore, but now that the time was near, the fear that Anthony had turned him against her refused to be silent. She didn’t doubt for a minute that Anthony would have told Tyler she was to blame for the divorce and her absence from their son’s life.

Tyler would probably hate her at first, and it would take time and much understanding on her part for him to trust her again. Would he remember the bedtime stories, the times they played with his robots together, talked about when dinosaurs roamed the earth? It would take patience and love to rebuild their bond, and all her time and focus had to be for him.

What she needed was a cup of chamomile tea to settle her nerves. As she heated water, she glanced at the microwave clock. Was Grayson at this very minute breaking into Anthony’s safe? She should have asked him to call her when it was done so she wouldn’t spend all night worrying.

After dropping a tea bag in the heated water, she took her cup to the living room. As soon as she sat on the sofa, Einstein jumped in her lap. He purred, as if he knew she needed comfort.

“You’re the cure for anxiety,” she said as she combed her fingers through his soft fur. “I should rent you out. I’d make a fortune.”

He purred louder, apparently agreeing.

When someone banged on her door, she startled, spilling hot tea on her fingers. “Ow. That hurt.”

Einstein raced to the door. She put her eye to the peephole and gasped at seeing Ava holding Tyler.

Her fingers fumbled with the lock as she tried to open the door so she could get to her son. It’s a trick. She didn’t want to listen to that voice in her head, but this was exactly what Anthony had done the last time. She dropped her hand from the lock and pressed her forehead to the door.

She wasn’t going to fall for another of Anthony’s tricks. Even if she opened the door, Ava would disappear with Tyler like before, and it would be Anthony standing there. She hated him with a passion for using their son in his cruel games. “Just a few more days,” she whispered. She just had to be strong a little longer, and then all this would be over.

“Harlow, please,” Ava yelled. “I’m scared. Anthony’s in a rage. I’ve never seen him like this. You have to open the door before he finds us here.”

Fear and desperation filled her voice, but could Harlow trust her? She’d never actually seen Anthony lay a hand on anyone, but he did have a fearsome temper.

“Please. He hit Tyler, and then he tried to hit me when I pulled Tyler away from him. You have to let us in.”

He struck Tyler? Rage filled her. She put my eye to the peephole again. Her little boy was crying. Her mother’s instinct took over, and she could only think of getting to her son. She opened the door.

“Thank God,” Ava said as she rushed past.

Harlow pushed the door to close it, but it bounced against a shiny black Ferragamo dress shoe. Her heart dropped to her stomach. She knew that shoe.

“No,” she screamed as she fought to keep Anthony out. Even though she put all her weight against the door to keep it from opening enough for him to enter, he was stronger.

“Mommy!” Tyler cried as his arms reached for her.

The door was pushed so hard that she stumbled, then tripped over Einstein and landed on her knees. Einstein yowled, and deciding he wanted no part of whatever was happening, he disappeared down the hallway.

The only thing that registered in her mind was Tyler’s cries, and she pushed up to her feet. Ava didn’t fight handing him to her, which was smart of her. Harlow was in mama bear mode, and nothing and no one was going to keep her from her son.

Tyler latched onto her like a spider monkey, and her heart rejoiced that he hadn’t forgotten her. “Hey, baby. Mommy missed you so much.” It was amazing to have him in her arms again. She inhaled his little-boy smell, her tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

“Leave, Ava,” Anthony said.

Harlow backed up until her knees touched the sofa. He wasn’t taking Tyler away from her again. As Ava walked past her, she smirked. Apprehension slithered through Harlow. What was Anthony up to?

She’d been so focused on Tyler that she hadn’t noticed Don Delgado standing by the door, staring at her with mean eyes. Her apprehension turned to stark fear. She’d known Don for years and had always been afraid of him. Too terrified to speak, she held Tyler close as she waited to learn why they’d invaded her home.

“You’re shaking.” Anthony smirked, enjoying her fear. “Sit.”

She wanted to refuse, but her trembling legs weren’t going to hold her up much longer. As if sensing her fear, Tyler burrowed into her as she sank to the sofa.

“It’s okay, baby. Mama has you,” she whispered. Not that she could protect him against these two men, but she would die trying.

Anthony stared down at her. “Who is he?”

“Who is who?” But she knew.

“Don’t play games with me, sweetheart. I’m not in the mood. Who. Is. He?”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Damn that tremor in her voice. He wanted her afraid of him, and she was.

“Last chance.”

She pressed her lips together, refusing to speak.

“Take the boy.” He stepped aside, making room for Don to approach her.

“No, please.” She tightened her arms around Tyler, but he was snatched away from her.

“Tell me who he is, Harlow, if you don’t want to watch Don break one of the boy’s fingers.”

Her stomach lurched. “You wouldn’t. He’s your son.”

Anthony shrugged. “He’s a means to an end.”

Who was this man she’d married? She’d learned to hate him for his verbal and emotional abuse, but she’d never dreamed that he would hurt his own son. She looked into his eyes, praying that she’d see that this was some kind of sick joke, but all she saw was a soulless man.

“Mommy.” Tyler was sobbing and reaching for her.

She stood, intending to get to him. Anthony pushed her back down. “If you don’t answer the question, Don will break his finger. If you continue to refuse, he’ll break another, and another until you tell me what I want to know.”

Oh, God. “You wouldn’t.”

“You really want to try me, wife?” He nodded at Don. “Start with his pinky.”

When Don grabbed Tyler’s hand, Harlow swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She couldn’t let these bastards torture her son. Grayson would understand and forgive her. She had to believe that.

“His name’s Grayson.”

“Grayson who?”

“I don’t know. He never told me his last name. Said it was better that I didn’t know.” She hoped she was somehow giving Grayson a bit of protection by not giving his last name. “Please, give me Tyler.” He was still crying for her, and it was breaking her heart.

“Not yet. You have more questions to answer. Why is he pretending to be Benny’s cousin?”

There wasn’t anything she could tell him that would make sense or be believable other than the truth. “I hired him to help me get custody of Tyler.” It was killing her to betray the best man she’d ever known, but what choice did she have?

“By spying on me?”

She shrugged. “I was desperate.”

“If you wanted to be with Tyler, all you had to do was come home.”

No, she couldn’t bear the thought of living in that house again.

“There’s more,” Don said. “She’s hiding something.”

Anthony tilted his head as he studied her. “He’s right. What else? What does he expect to find?”

She pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.

“Very well.” Anthony nodded at Don. “Break it.”

“Stop!” Please forgive me, Grayson. “Give me Tyler, and I’ll tell you.”

“Give her the boy,” Anthony said.

She hugged her little boy when he was back in her arms. “He… Grayson’s going to get the letter that’s in your safe. The blackmail Veronica wrote you.” He’s going to prove that you killed her.

“How do you know about that?”

“I saw it.” He was getting angry, and that made him unpredictable.

“When is he breaking into my safe?”

He grabbed her chin, squeezing so hard that tears stung her eyes when she didn’t answer.

“When, Harlow.”

“Tonight,” she whispered.

He grabbed her arm and jerked her up so hard that she almost dropped Tyler. “You’re hurting me.”

“You’re coming with me.”

“Please, no. I’ve told you everything. Just leave.” And don’t take Tyler with you. “How could you even think to hurt your son?”

“You truly are naive, wife. I would have never hurt him. I just had to make you believe I would.”

“You’re a bastard, and I’m not your wife.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”