Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 154728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 619(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 619(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Seeing the bond between them, seeing him grow as a father, made me feel simultaneous joy and pain while thinking about the own father I’d lost. I’d forgiven him, finally, my father. Not that I’d had any other choice. Dead men were forgiven easier.
My inner thoughts were not punctuated by Mabel’s squeals. Instead, the smile died on her face as she stared at the hall with a tilt to her head and an uncertain expression.
My blood immediately chilled, and I froze in place. Call it what you will, motherly instincts, intuition, but I knew the person standing behind me was not Kane.
I held my breath, looking around for something, anything to use as a weapon. My phone was across the kitchen, as were all the sharp and pointy things. Out of the grasp of little fingers. The only thing in reaching distance was a rubber spoon that Mabel was waving in her grubby hands.
That was then I noticed Blanche’s absence. I’d let her out to the bathroom minutes before. Under protest, she’d left her spot beneath the high chair where she had proximity to Mabel and snacks from whatever Mabel dropped. I searched for her outside and saw the slash of golden fur, lying lifeless on the deck. My mouth dried with terror.
“Isn’t this cozy?” a voice sneered.
I turned, unable and unwilling to have my back to him. I’d recognized his voice immediately, of course.
Brax.
He looked a lot different than the last time I saw him. No bespoke suit, no fancy haircut or fake tan. No smarmy grin.
He was disheveled. Much thinner than he had been and pale, gaunt almost. His hair was mussed and longer, a thick layer of patchy stubble covering his jaw. His gray tee was rumpled, hanging off him.
And he was holding a gun.
I sucked in an unsteady breath and moved my body so Mabel was completely behind me.
Brax was there. In our kitchen.
I’d asked Kane what happened to Brax since he’d sworn to ‘kill him’ in a way that seemed very literal. Kane had replied by saying that he was ‘taken care of.’ That had seemed ominous, but a quick Google search couldn’t find a missing person or obituary anywhere, so I was relieved that Kane wasn’t at risk of incarceration for murder.
I hadn’t given it much thought beyond that. We had other things going on.
“You ruined my life,” Brax snarled, taking another step into the kitchen.
Every muscle in my body went taut. I kept my focus on him as Mabel started protesting my back being to her. My stomach lurched at the situation I was in. An obviously angry, desperate and armed man was in my kitchen with me and my baby. Defenseless.
Kane was supposed to be home soon. He’d messaged that he was making the drive home what, an hour ago? Two? I couldn’t remember.
But even if he did come home, what could he do? His shotgun was locked away upstairs, in a safe as I had requested. But he was much more physically fit than Brax, and the sheer rage he’d feel protecting his family would save us. That I knew.
Except he wasn’t there to save us.
“You need to leave. Now,” I demanded, conjuring my best ice queen voice. “Right now. You’re breaking and entering. Leave before it’s something you can’t come back from.”
Brax laughed. It was an ugly sound with an edge of mania. “It’s not breaking and entering, you dumb bitch. The door wasn’t even locked. You think you’re untouchable here.”
I didn’t ask how he got past the gate; it was an insignificant detail at that point. He’d gotten past it. He was there.
He took another step forward. I pressed myself into Mabel’s highchair, and her banana covered hands clawed at my back.
“You’re not,” he continued. “You’re not going to ruin my career either. I get that.” He waved the gun in Mabel’s direction, and acid burned my esophagus. “If I get the first scoop and picture of the famous child, I’ll have my in.”
I stared at him, understanding that I was looking at a completely unhinged man.
There was no point in reasoning with him, in pointing out that kidnapping our daughter and essentially selling her to the media—I think that’s what he meant, at least—was going to get him his job back.
Kane had done something to ensure he lost everything, that much was clear. And instead of doing some serious inner work, he had laid the blame at Kane’s feet. And at mine. And clearly, he’d let his mind become unhinged enough to come here. To my home. Where my daughter was.
“Step aside now,” he said, waving the gun.
“You’ll have to kill me.” I was proud that my fear wasn’t evident in my tone and that I was able to stand straight despite my legs feeling like mush. I knew I had to stay strong, so I stared at Brax, not letting go of his gaze. “Kill me. That’s the only way that you’re getting your filthy hands on my daughter.”