I have been lying down for a bit but I can't seem to rest. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm restless. All of a sudden, I hear Mariano cry, and I quickly get up and rush to his room. I freeze in the doorway.

"Well, hello there, tramp. I guess he lied to me again, didn't he?"

I stand here frozen in fear as she holds my baby with a knife by her side. I see the evil glint in her eye as she looks down at Mariano. How am I going to get him away from her? I want to run and snatch him from her arms, but I know she will hurt him before I can get close. I can't risk it. I'm afraid to leave him and try to call Nate. That would lead to him being hurt, too.

"Please, don't hurt him. He has nothing to do with this."

"I don't want to hurt him. I can just get rid of you. Nathan and I can raise him as our own. Your legacy will be mine, and I will have all the power."

"You are delusional. You think my father in law will give you anything?"
"I will have his only heir. He will do anything I ask."
"How did you in here by the way, Jennifer?"

"Please, don't you think that I would have a key to my man's house?"

"He would never give you a key, you psycho."

"I don't need permission. I got my own."
"I thought you were out of town. They saw."

"They saw what I wanted them to see. They were following my decoy. I haven't left. I have been watching you ever since you came back. I knew every move that you made. It was me that texted him to get him out of the house so I could get to you."
"You don't think he would know that it wasn't one of the guys?"
"It will be too late by the time he figures it out."
She gets up to put Mariano back on his crib. He has not stopped screaming since I first heard him. Once he is down, I run to get her away and try to overpower her. She quickly turns around and has the knife pointed at my baby.

"Please, don't hurt him."

"Then do as I say and sit down. You have been a thorn in my side since the day you walked into this town. You have ruined everything! He was mine and my ticket to everything! Money, power, and the world at my fingertips. I was one to take over from my uncle. His useless son didn't want any of it. My uncle has been training me since I was a little girl. Nathan was to be my cover. He would be the faze of my mafia! I would rule from the shadows, and no one would know any different."

"You're mental! He would have never done that. He doesn't want that life. He can't even stand you."

"He did until you came along. He loved me!"

"I don't believe you!"

"Just shut up you whore!"

"What do you want?"
"For you to be out of my life and Nathan to love me again."

"He was never in love with you and will never love you. IF you think this will make him love you, you are crazy."

I should have kept my mouth shut, and not antagonized her. Her hand quickly comes across my cheek and I taste blood. She really is crazy if she ever thought that Nathan loved her. I thought she was a little crazy when she appeared in front of me when I was abducted but I never thought she was this level crazy. I have got to find a way to get her away from Mariano.

"You lie! Now sit down, I have to think."
I quickly sit down, and she stalks around me.

"Now, how should I get rid of you? Hmmm. It would be so easy to just slit your throat here and walk away, and I will be there to take care of him as he grieves. We will raise the baby as our own and I will still have my mafia, or maybe we can go for a trip and I will send you and that little brat over a cliff. Say you were running away and couldn't live with him or the loss of your fiance."

She slowly slides the knife across my arm, and I hiss in silence, trying not to give her the satisfaction of hurting me. I hear something in the living room. I'm not sure, but it sounded like a door being opened. I don't think that she heard it. I don't hear Rufus at all. I'm sure he would have come running if he thought we were in trouble.

************************

Nathan's POV

I hope that the problem with the client is not too bad and we can fix it quickly . I don't want to be away from Lily and Leo for too long. I park in front of the site and get out. It's strange that I only see Connor and Eric's trucks. Why isn't there another car here? I get out, closing my door behind me and walking inside. Both Eric and Connor are busy with their work.

"Hey guys."

"Hey, what are you doing here? We told you we had it covered so you could stay home with them. How is Lily and the baby?" Connor asks.

"They are fine. Where is the client?"
"He's not here." Eric adds.

"I got a text from Connor saying he was here and upset. He told me to come down asap."
"I never texted you. We've been busy trying to get this electrical work corrected. Someone came in and tore things up." Connor explains.

"It came straight from your phone."
"My phone has been right here on the counter. I haven't touched it all morning."
He goes to pick it up and realizes it's missing. He looks everywhere.

"Where the hell did it go? I swear it was right here."
It hits me. Could it have been Jennifer. She had to have been here when I called her. I begin to panic as I realize that Lily and the baby may be in danger.

"Shit! I've got to get back to the house. I think Jennifer is here. They are in danger."
"What are you talking about?" Eric asks.

"I wouldn't put it past Jennifer to set this all up! She's here and I'm sure that she is at the house or on the way there. I've got to go."
"We are coming with you. Call Mike on the way."
We ran back outside. I jump in my truck and the guys follow behind me. I quickly pull out calling Mike. He picks up on the second ring.

"Hey Nathan, we are getting everything ready for tomorrow. What's up?"

"You need to get to my house now! She's there!"

"What do you mean? Are you sure?"
"I got a text about an hour ago from Connor saying I needed to get to the site because our customer was irate, so I left Lily and went to the site. I got there and he wasn't there. The guys said they had been busy fixing electrical work that had been vandalized, so they hadn't texted. Connor went to grab his phone to show me, and it was missing. She's there, I know it."
"Alright, we will meet you there. Don't go in that house until we get there. Jennifer is crazy and I'm sure she will do anything to get you."
"Just hurry!"
We finally reached the house and quietly went inside. I cautiously open the door and slowly walk through the living room. I stop abruptly when I see a small form laying still on the floor. I quickly walk over to Rufus and check for a heartbeat and breathing. I feel his heart beating and his chest moving. I breathe a sigh of relief as he is only knocked out. Eric comes in behind me and looks over my shoulder whispering.

"Is he ok?"

"He's breathing. I don't know what she did to him."
"I'll get him out of here, and to the vet. You take care of your girl."

He picks up Rufus and carries him out, and I start to walk down the hall.

"Do you think that it's safe to go down there without Mike?" Conner whispers behind me.

"I've got to go. She's down there, and who knows what Jennifer is up to." I whisper back.

"I don't like this, but I"m behind you."
We slowly slink down the hall, checking each room. We come to the nursery and hear voices as Mariano cries.

"Would you shut him up!" Jennifer screams.

"He's scared and I can't quiet him with you waving that knife around!"

Now, I'm furious. My fists ball at my sides as I try to keep calm. She looks up and I see the red mark on her cheek and her split lip. Her arm is bleeding and I quickly step into the doorway, and she jumps behind Lily and presses the knife to her neck.

"Don't come closer, or she dies!"

"Don't hurt her. What do you want?"
"I want you!"
"You crazy bitch!"

Connor quickly tries to get past me, and I grab him as I watch the knife press into Lily's neck a little as blood trickles down her neck.

"Ah, ah, ah, do you want her to die faster?"

"Connor, don't. Go wait outside."
"She'll kill you both."
"No, she won't, just go."
He stares at me for a moment before he shakes his head and quickly walks out.

"Ok, we are alone. Now you want me? Leave her and take me. I'll go if you leave them alone."
"How do I know she won't attack me? It would be so much easier if I killed her."
"No, she won't move. Now come with me. We will go wherever you want to go. Just leave them alone."

Nathan, don't do it, please."
"If it keeps you two safe then it's the only way."
Jennifer slowly steps back away from Lily, and she jumps up to pick up Mariano to soothe him. Jennifer quickly stalks over to me, pressing the knife to my side as she grabs my hand.

"Let's go love, we have a long drive ahead of us."
I turn and look behind me as Lily cradles Mariano tightly against her as the tears slowly fall from her eyes. We walk down the hall towards the front door, and Connor stands in front of the door.

"You're not going anywhere." He states.

"Get out of my way, idiot. He's going with me." She hisses as I feel her push the tip of the knife into my side. I grit my teeth, trying not to cry out in pain.

"Are you ok, boss?"

"Yes, now move out of the way, she is serious."
I hear car doors as I stare at Connor, begging him to move. I know that it's Mike and the police out there. We just need to get out there so they can take her down. He soon moves out of the way, and I open the door for us to walk out. I hear Lily behind me as she comforts Mariano. I look back at her and mouth, I love you before we step outside.

"Step away from him, Jennifer. There's no way out."

"I'm not letting him go again! He's mine! He will always be mine!"

"I'm not asking again. Step away and put your hands up!"

"If I can't have him, no one can!"

She begins to press the knife further into my side, and I scream out in pain. I hear a scream that I never want to hear again coming from behind me, and I feel Jennifer fall next to me. I look down, and she is crumbled next to me with a bullet hole through her head. I stand shocked for a moment and then fall to my knees.