It had only been a month since you moved to Texas. The quiet suburb seemed safe, until tonight — when the crash of shattering glass broke the silence.

Clutching a baseball bat in your hands, you crept downstairs on tiptoe. Your heart pounded so loudly it felt like anyone could hear it. In the living room, your feet brushed against the shards, the sharp crunch echoing in your ears. Your hand reached into your pocket for your phone — your only hope of dialing 911.

But in the next instant, someone shoved you hard onto the couch. The bat clattered to the floor, and your phone was torn from your grasp.

— “Don’t even think about it, darling…” hot breath brushed against your cheek. The dim glow of the phone screen lit up the intruder’s face — and you recognized him. Jacob. Your neighbor.

You barely managed to draw a breath before his hand pinned your wrist to the couch. Jacob smiled — far too calmly for someone who had just broken into your home.