How untrue that was.
* * *
Why wouldn’tmy body move?
I’d only been drunk once in my life, but as I came to, I felt both intoxicated and hungover. The only other time I’d been like this, I’d swore I would never consume enough alcohol to feel so terrible again. My body felt sluggish, my head was pounding, my vision was blurred, and I couldn’t recall anything that had transpired to get me in the predicament I found myself in.
But then I realized I didn’t know exactly what that predicament was.
Or evenwhereI was.
The floor was hard and cold, a chill raced through my body, and I couldn’t get warm. Where was the hot, hard, sexy body that was usually wrapped around me at night covering me like a blanket and making me feel protected?
Why was I alone?
I tried to get my dry mouth to move so I could call out for Bodie but it felt like I was sucking on cotton balls. He would never leave me feeling like this.
“Something isn’t right,” I mumbled alone in the dark room as a sharp pang pierced my temples.
A shiver skated down my spine when someone unexpectedly answered back, making me dreadfully realize I wasn’t alone at all.
“Things haven’t been right for a long time, but I’m going to try and rectify some of that,” an icy, female voice said.
Think Gemma.
Squeezing my heavy eyes shut tight, I tried to remember. Something was niggling at the back of my mind but nothing would come. I may not know where I was or why I was there, but there was one thing I did know.
I was inhugetrouble.
With every fiber of my being, I could sense that the woman who had spoken was unfriendly. She definitely hadn’t brought me to the frigid room and tossed me on the floor to chat over tea. And she confirmed that when she spoke next.
“You and your mother took my son’s father from me. I loved him and you ruined my life. You also ruined a little boy's life and now you think you can swoop in and claim him too?” I couldn’t see her but I could feel her standing close to me, her foot tapping rapidly on the floor. “Paxton is my son!Mine!”
The venom in her tone came through loud and clear.
It was with her statement that everything in my head cleared and fear washed over me so intensely that my body shook with violent tremors. I then knew who the woman was and I knew precisely how I got where I was.
Everything was coming back in crashing waves but I didn’t have time to assess it all before the woman started talking again.
In a calculating voice, she said before leaving the room, “You will hand over the money that should be mine and my Paxton’s. Once you’re not around my son will forget about you. He didn’t need a sister before, I told your dad that when he wanted the two of you to meet. You should have never been born.”
My heart wept knowing my father had tried to allow me to know my brother and also that he wanted to be in Paxton’s life. I wanted my brother to know that too but feared I may never get to tell him.
I don’t want to die.
The sound of footsteps shuffled across the floor and a sliver of light peeked through the door as the woman’s shadowy form retreated, leaving me alone once again. Paxton was going to be devastated that it was his mom that had been after me.
Only now she got me.
And I was sure she never planned on letting me go.
At least… not alive.
As I lay on my side, I pulled my knees to my chest and shivered once more, while willing myself not to cry. But the thought of not seeing Bodie, my two new beautiful daughters, my brother, and all my amazing friends again was enough to slip past all my defenses. Tears broke free and streamed down my face.
I should have been more careful. All I wanted to do was get to Ruby and be there when her baby was born. Now I may never meet her little one. I’d called an Uber and rushed out to the curb so I could meet the driver. That’s where everything went wrong.
When a car pulled up and the passenger window rolled down, I was hesitant at first, but the older woman inside looked so sweet and all she wanted was directions. I leaned my head in a bit and started rattling off how she could get to her destination when all of a sudden a gun was pointed at my face.
