by S. M. Soto
When Baz and Dan are finished talking to the police, I pace the living room, waiting for answers. Ava fell asleep sometime during the chaos, and I took her to bed, tucking her in. I left her door open, in case she woke up, still afraid.
“What happened to the security guard? How didn’t he notice?”
Baz’s lips thin into a grim line, and he shares a look with Dan. “He thought he saw someone sneaking around back, so he followed. The person took him on a wild goose chase, purposely drawing him out, so you’d be left alone. That means there’s not one, but two.”
My stomach clenches. “Two people? Is it…?” I’m too afraid to finish that sentence. It’s the only logical explanation.
“I thought so, at first, but Jase says the person he spotted out back looked like a kid, not a grown man. Same as the footage. When you look at it, do you see any of them?”
My stomach sours even further because, no, I don’t. The person on video doesn’t look tall enough to be any of them, but if that’s the case, who is it, and what do they want?
I fall back onto the couch, and Baz follows, pulling me into the security of his arms.
“I’m staying here until we get this figured out.”
Pulling back the slightest bit, I meet his gaze. “What about work and the resort?”
“That can wait. You’re more important. Both of you are.”
Pressing a kiss against his lips, I soak him in. His strength, his surety. At least one good thing has come out of this—having him here.
Things have somewhat gone back to normal since having Baz around. We’ve found a routine, and dare I say, we feel like a family. Albeit, a very strange, screwed-up family, but having him around just feels right.
Ava asked me last night, before Baz left on a business trip, if he was going to live with us now. I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Have I thought about it? Yes. But after everything, it feels premature to have him in our space so soon. Not to mention, she’s still adjusting. I don’t want to risk bringing Baz into our life if he isn’t going to stick around.
I gave her the simplest answer I could muster, skirting the truth. Baz and I were friends, and he was staying here to make sure we were okay. That was all there was to it.
For now, at least.
When I’m the next one in the pickup line for Ava, she opens the door and climbs into the car.
“How was school today?” I ask, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
She shrugs, tossing her backpack next to her, before buckling herself in. “It was fun. We got to play a scrimmage soccer game with the other classes, and we had ice cream for good attendance.”
I shoot her a smile, glad she had a good day. “That’s awesome, babe!”
I pull out of the parking lot and head home. We’re about halfway there when she asks me a question that has my stomach dropping. A cool sweat seeps from my pores.
“Who’s Zach?”
I swing a look over my shoulder, panic written all over my face. “What? Why would you ask that?”
“I met a man at school who said his name is Zach. He said he’s a friend of yours.”
The road blurs before me, so I yank on the wheel, pulling to the side of the road. My hands are shaking violently as I reach for my phone and dial Baz. His phone goes straight to voicemail, which means he’s probably in the air flying. I toss my phone onto the passenger seat and white knuckle the steering wheel, trying to control my breathing.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
My heart skitters, fresh tears teetering on the edge of my lashes. I blink rapidly, trying to hold them back. My mind is whirring with possibilities.
How did he find us?
How did he find Ava?
The scariest question is, what does he want from us?
I sniff, shifting around in my seat to face her. I paste on a wobbly smile, trying to hold back my tears.
“Nothing is wrong, sweetie. I just…” I clear the fear from my throat. “I just want to make sure you remember the conversation we had about strangers. If this man tries to talk to you again, I need you to tell one of the grown-ups, okay?”
Her brows pull together pensively, causing a crease to form between them. “Am I in trouble?”
“No. No, of course not. I just want to make sure you’re safe at all times. Got it?”
She nods, taking it in. I turn back around and slam my eyes shut, trying to pull myself together. Tomorrow, I’ll need to talk to someone at the school about what’s happening, just for my peace of mind.
The rest of the day, I’m a jittery mess, as I wait to get ahold of Baz. When he still doesn’t answer, I try to get ahold of Dan and tell him what’s happening instead.
He’s silent, on the other end of the line, after listening to my spiel. I had to whisper my fears, not wanting Ava to hear me and start to worry. She’s just barely forgetting about the door nonsense; I don’t want to scare her any more than she already has been.
“I think it would be a better idea if you stayed at the resort until Mr. King is back.”
I heave a tired sigh, rubbing at my temples. “She has school, Dan. I can’t just uproot her life because they’re toying with me.”
“Then I’ll stay there with you. I’ll follow Ava to school and keep an eye on her there.”
Some of the tightness in my chest ebbs away. I release a pent-up sigh. “Yeah, okay. That’s a good idea. When you get ahold of Baz, can you please tell him to call me?”
“I will. I’ll be there soon, Ms. Wright.”
Dan keeps his word and gets to the house in record time. I will sleep much better tonight, knowing he’s around and he’ll be there to protect Ava, in case I’m not overreacting about all of this. Baz calls me just before bed and is angry. He is doing whatever he can on his end to make sure no one comes near Ava or me. He wants the first flight back, but I urge him to stay put.
There is one option I have, and I plan on taking it. He won’t like it, but hell, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and I need to do whatever it takes to protect my family.
The next morning, after I drop off Ava at school and have a discussion with the principal, I breathe a little easier knowing Dan will be there protecting her. While they’re both there, I drive into the outskirts of the city and step onto a gun range. Glass cases all around the floor of the store house various types of guns. In the back is the gun range, but here, if I pass whatever necessary courses, I might be eligible to lease a gun. I need that sense of protection to feel safe. I need to feel like I can keep Ava safe in the event anyone ever breaks into our home.
Since Baz took my last weapon and, obviously, has no intention of giving it back, I need to find another way to keep my daughter safe.
Sucking in a lungful of air, I walk up to one of the attendants manning the glass casing. He’s huge—I’m talking lumberjack huge—and looks like a caveman with a beard that takes up the majority of his face. With half his hair pulled back into a manbun, he looks intimidating. He eyes me warily, taking in my appearance, as I close the distance between us.
“You lost?” His voice is gruff and hard, like it’s made of gravel and stone. My lips press together. I’m sure he thinks he’s funny. Because I’m a woman who probably looks like she’s in over her head walking into a place like this.
“I need to see if I can get a gun.”
His brows shoot up, and he leans forward, resting his forearms on the glass, all the more interested.
“And what would a pretty little thing like you need a gun for?”
“To protect my daughter and me.”
He sobers at the mention of protection and daughter. His eyes rake up and down my body, his gaze narrowing on me as if he’s deep in thought.
“All right.” He scratches at his beard. “I’m assuming you don’t have a license?”
I shake my head. “That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to do this the right way.”
He sighs as if helping me has suddenly become a thorn i
n his side. “Well, you’d need to follow the DROS process. After you’re cleared, you can lease or buy.”
I shift on my feet, hating the idea of waiting that long. “What if that takes too long? I need it now.” Especially with the institution on my background, it may take longer. Hell, they might give me a flat-out no.
He lifts his shoulder in a carefree shrug. “You gotta wait like everyone else.”
Heaving a deep sigh, I glance around, trying to find anything else I can purchase to use for protection.
“The only other option I can offer is a Taser.”
My eyes flick to his in resolution. “I’ll take it.”
It’s better than nothing.
It doesn’t take long for me to get a call from Baz, and when I do, he’s not happy with me, at all. I should’ve known he would find out. I should’ve figured he’d have me followed for my own protection, too.
When I pick up Ava from school, I’m all too sure I’ll have more than enough time to explain myself to Baz when he gets back into town. I was wrong.
My stomach churns when I see his car parked in front of the curb of the house, and he’s there leaning against the vehicle, arms crossed over his broad chest, a no-nonsense look on his face.
Well, shit.
After parking the car in the driveway and cutting the engine, Ava throws open her car door and runs toward him, completely excited to see him. He wipes that angry look off his face and drops down to his haunches to be at her level. She throws herself into his arms, and he hugs her back, smiling down at her.
“Hey there, kiddo. How was school?”
Ava breaks into discussion about her day at school, and Baz listens intently. As I unlock the front door, I can still feel the anger radiating off him in waves. Hell, I feel it throughout the entire night as he helps me with dinner and does homework with Ava. I try to draw out the time I spend with her before bed tonight, giving us an extra hour of TV, just so I don’t have to face Baz by myself because I know he won’t be happy with me.
I’m in the middle of making Ava’s lunch for school when I realize I’m out of snacks for tomorrow. I use that as an excuse to delay the inevitable conversation with Baz. While he stays home with Ava, I head to the grocery store, mentally preparing myself for the argument that is surely on the horizon.
Popping the trunk, I haul the groceries into the back, dreading the very moment I step back inside. I don’t know why a part of me feels bad for going out in search of a weapon, but Christ, what else am I supposed to do? I need to protect my daughter—by any means necessary. Is it risky? Yes, but it’s also necessary. I don’t want to feel unsafe in my own home, and the fact of the matter is, Baz isn’t always going to be here to protect us.
Slamming the trunk closed, I grip onto the cart and begin returning it, when it suddenly jerks to a stop. A frown mars my face, and I glance up, checking to see if the wheel got stuck, but my heart jerks to an unsteady stop, the blood rushing through my veins, when I see who’s blocking the cart from going any farther.
Zach Covington stands tall, his hair pulled back into that rugged man bun that I’m sure many women find attractive; only now, to me, it makes him look like an unruly, cruel son of a bitch.
It takes me a few seconds to find my footing, but when I do, I grip onto the strap of my purse for support, wishing I had some kind of weapon on me to protect myself with. I square my shoulders, and a grimace steals across my face.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Zach mentions, a sly smirk pulling across his lips.
I grit my back teeth together in response.
“Is it?” I cross my arms over my chest protectively. “Stay away from me and my daughter, or you’ll regret it.”
Zach throws his head back and laughs, the column of his throat working to contain his booming hysterics. I glance around the parking lot, hoping I can spot at least one person who’s close enough to us, in case anything happens.
“What are you going to do about it?” he asks in a low tone, taking a threatening step toward me.
I swallow thickly. “I’ll kill you.”
His brows jump into his hairline, and he smirks. “Just me? What about everyone else? We’re all guilty, aren’t we? Or at least that’s what you believe.”
My nostrils flare as I work to tamp down my anger. “I’ll kill anyone who threatens me or my daughter. You’ll do well to remember that.”
We stare at each other, chests heaving, tension cackling in the cool night air.
Zach takes another step forward, his leering gaze passing up and down my body, lingering on my hair. “Give Baz a message for me, will you?”
My face twists with disgust. “You already had the shares taken from you, what in the hell could you possibly want to talk to him about? Why stick around?”
I must’ve struck a chord, because the muscle along his square jaws clenches, as he works to control his anger. “Because I have faith in the Savages. In my brothers. Women like you, you come and go.”
The way he says it, with so many double-entendres, sends a sinister chill traveling down my spine.
“That a threat?”
Zach barks out a sharp laugh. It rains nails down my back. “If I wanted you dead, Mackenzie, you’d be dead. I’m quite enjoying toying with you right now, though. Just like a predator would its prey.”
My eyes narrow into thin slits. “I won’t let you hurt her.”
He blows out a sigh, feigning exasperation. “What is it with you Wright women and wanting to protect everyone?”
My heart lurches, and without thinking it through, I eat up the distance between us and swing my arm out, my hand colliding with his cheek. The slap echoes around us in the near empty parking lot.
“Don’t you dare,” I hiss.
In a flash of movement, Zach grips my wrist and tugs me into his chest. I beat my free hand against him, trying to push away, but his hold on me is unrelenting.
“You won’t be here long. He’ll get tired of you. Both of you.”
I swallow thickly. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”
Something flares in his eyes. It’s sinister and cold. It’s the same Zach who shoved a pillow over my face and tried to kill me. Fear claws at my chest at the look he’s giving me. This may very well be how it ends for me, all because I wanted an excuse not to face Baz.
“Everything okay here?”
Zach’s grip on me is gone in a flash, and I turn toward the source. One of the employees is out wrangling carts, headed in our direction.
“Everything is fine,” I hear Zach murmur, his voice sounding far away. When I glance over my shoulder, he’s already gone.
I’m jittery the whole drive home. I avoid Baz as much as I can once I get home, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Zach has been following me. Not only has he been following me, but he approached my daughter, and now me, what next?
When Ava falls asleep, I heave a deep sigh and climb out of her bed, leaving her door cracked in case she needs me. I’m not all that surprised when I spot Baz waiting outside of her room, leaning against the hallway, with his brows pulled together in contempt. I bypass him and head down the hallway toward my room, knowing he’s going to rip me a new one.
Baz steps into the bedroom and shuts the door behind him, silently fuming. The air surrounding us crackles with tension. He scrapes his hand down his face and sighs.
“I thought things were going well. Why the fuck do you need a gun, Mackenzie? You’re taking care of a child, for Christ’s sakes. You can’t leave a weapon like that lying around.”
“I’m not an idiot!” I snap. “I wasn’t going to leave a damn gun lying around for her to find. I just went there to see if I could get one. I need something to keep us safe. That’s exactly why I need a gun!” I dart my gaze around us, worried I might’ve woken Ava up with my raised voice. Stepping closer to Baz, I’m conscious to lower my voice. “Don’t you get it? They won’t stop. I may have finally given up and moved on, but I’m afr
aid they won’t. I need that protection, just in case. How can I keep her safe?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him about my run-in with Zach.
“You know damn well I’d never let anything happen to you. To either of you.”
I roll my eyes. “You can’t protect us twenty-four seven, Baz. You have your own life.”
“Don’t underestimate me, Mackenzie. I’m not letting them anywhere near you guys. Understand me?”
As if sensing how much I need to be held, Baz steps into me, sliding his hands around my neck, drawing my body into his. I go boneless in his arms, seeking his warmth. He presses his lips to the top of my head, and I slam my eyes shut.
“I’m scared.”
His grip tightens around me. “Don’t be. I told you, I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
“It’s not just that. I’m scared of you.”
I feel his body tense beneath me. “You still don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just confused. Having you here, it isn’t easy, because I want you to stay. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want Ava to get hurt.”
He’s silent as he processes. “I know. We’ll figure it out when the time comes, but right now, my first priority is keeping you both safe.”
I crane my neck back, meeting his gaze. Pressing onto my tiptoes, I seal my mouth over his and kiss him. It may not be the answer I was looking for, but he’s right. We have much more important things to worry about right now.
It’s a Friday night. Ava is playing in the living room with a painting pottery set Baz bought her in Bali, and we’re sitting on the couch watching TV. This has become somewhat of a routine for us. If Baz isn’t staying here with us, it’s Dan and one of the security guards staying overnight. There’ve been no more banging on doors or ringing of doorbells in the middle of the night, and neither Zach nor any of the guys have been back to Ava’s school.
