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baby-blue Greenwich High sweatshirt and rubbing her eyes, wandered in. “What’s going on, guys…?”
    Before she could even let out a scream, the second intruder grabbed her and covered her mouth.
    “Please don’t hurt her!” Marc begged, seeing his daughter’s face turn white with alarm. “She’s just a kid…”
    Eyes wide, April struggled against her binds, trying to go to her. Oh, baby, no, no…
    Becca tore the man’s hand away. “Mom!”
    They watched, unable to do a thing, as the second intruder wrapped the tape around Becca’s mouth and roughly bound her hands. Her uncomprehending eyes were round with fear.
    “Throw ’em in there,” the man with the gun directed his accomplice, pointing to the master closet. Becca, who had always had a fear of small spaces, twisted her head back and forth, trying to resist. Unheeding, the accomplice shoved the two of them in. April fell to the floor, twisting against her binds. Don’t do anything foolish, she tried to say to Marc, desperation in her eyes. Just give them what they want. Please…
    They shut off the lights in the closet and closed the door.
    Her daughter let out muffled screams, writhing against April in the dark. All April could do was huddle as close as she could, trying to convey with all her strength that everything would be okay. Just s tay calm, baby. They’re only here for money. They’re going to leave and this will all be okay. Daddy will come get us. I promise, honey, please…
    Tears glistened in her teenage daughter’s eyes. April put her head against hers, trying to transfer all her conviction and strength, and she began to think, Her hair is so soft and she smells so pure, my little girl…Now she’ll remember this the rest of her life. You bastards. You’ve stolen the innocence from her. Her trust. Her thoughts flashed to Marc downstairs— Marc, please, just give them anything! Don’t do anything heroic. Just let them go —and then to Evan, only seven, sleeping down the hall, her sweet little baby. Just sleep, honey, through it all. It’s going to be okay…Please, Evan, please. It’s—
    That was when she heard the sound: two far-off pops, coming from downstairs.
    April and Becca looked at each other. She’d heard it too. April’s heart began to leap with fear.
    Marc.
    Panicked, tears started to run down her cheeks. What did you do, Marc? What did you fucking do?
    Suddenly, there were footsteps. Heavy ones, pounding back up the stairs. Becca squealed, her large eyes doubling in size. The whole house seemed to shake.
    What did you do?
    Desperately, April fought against her binds. She looked at her daughter. All she could do was simply press herself into her as tightly as she could, panic building in her daughter’s eyes.
    My babies… April started to cry, her thoughts flashing to Evan as the approaching thuds entered the room. Oh my God, what’s going to happen to him, my poor little sleeping boy? Do whatever you have to do to me, but please, not him. Not to Becca.
    The closet door flung open. Light burst into their eyes.
    Not my babies, April tried to scream. She threw herself in front of Becca. Not them, not them… She stared back at the hooded faces with eyes that were both begging and defiant.
    Please…

CHAPTER TWO
    R emind me again,” Annie Fletcher asked, wiggling out of her navy U of Michigan T-shirt. “Why is it they always call it blue Monday?”
    “No idea,” Hauck gasped, his breaths quickening, gulping in air.
    She rocked above him, hands balanced against the rattling headboard, swaying in perfect rhythm to the thrust of his thighs. Annie’s body was small and light, but her breasts were full, and her short, dark hair fell over her face, still messy from sleep.
    In the background, the newscaster on the early morning show announced brightly that it was going to be a clear and sunny day.
    “Never gonna think that way again,” she said, starting to really heat up. Because of the demands of her restaurant