He kept his eyes locked on me, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his cheek twitched.

“Graham!” Sloane screamed, her voice cracking.

“Take it off, Sloane,” Graham said, his voice cold and flat.

Sloane stared at him, her mouth falling open in disbelief.

“What?” she whispered.

“Take the damn ring off,” Graham repeated. “We have bigger problems right now.”

Sloane looked down at her hand as if she had never seen it before.

The heavy emerald-cut diamond caught the light from the altar candles, sending a splinter of green across her pale skin.

She began to tug at the platinum band, but her knuckle was swollen from the damp autumn air.

“It’s stuck,” she whimpered, her face turning red as she pulled.

“Use some soap from the vestibule, or I will assist you,” Officer Ramirez said.

Sloane gave a desperate sob and put her finger to her mouth.

Using her teeth, she pulled at the metal band until it slid over her joint with a sickening click.

She held the ring out on her palm, her hand shaking so hard the diamond rattled against her fingernails.