Page 199 of Scars of Fate

“I don’t know.”

“That’s not true.”

His hand tightened around the photograph.

I saw it.

Recognition.

Not of the handwriting.

Of the warning.

“You’ve heard those words before.”

He looked toward the others.

Every man remained silent.

Waiting.

Finally, Lucas reached beneath his tactical shirt and removed a small metal tag from the chain around his neck.

I had seen it countless times during our marriage.

He never removed it.

Even while sleeping.

I had assumed it belonged to someone he’d lost.

He turned it over.

Six words had been engraved into the metal.

LET HER GO OR SHE DIES.

The room tilted.

“When did you get that?”

Lucas’s face filled with regret.

“Three days after I signed the divorce papers.”

My knees weakened.

He caught me.

“You knew someone was threatening me while I was waiting to file?”

“Yes.”

“Is that why you never called?”

“I had already signed because I thought I was setting you free. Then that arrived.”

He looked down at the tag.