When was the last time I was happy? When Tommy and Kelsey showed up, but before that? Nothing brought me happiness.
I let go of Anastacia’s hand and immediately throw my arm around her shoulder, pulling her to me.
“I hope this is okay.”
“More than okay.”
Her vanilla scent fills my nostrils, and my eyes fall closed. I so badly want to reach down and put my hand on her belly, but that’s weird. It’s weird that I’m even thinking it, because that baby is not mine and she and I are strangers, basically. But it is a baby. It’s a life. It’s innocent and should be cherished. I just keep holding her, not wanting to freak her out but not wanting to let her go either. I like this. It feels right. It feels good.
“You know you’re safe here, right? With us.”
She nods, then nuzzles her face against my chest and shifts to get more comfortable.
“Not just with Snapper, but with me. The other guys in the club, too—if we told them what’s going on.”
I need to make sure she understands how safe she is with us, and I’ll say it every day for the rest of my life if I have to.
“Snapper said it’s best no one knows.”
I nod, even though she isn’t looking at me. “His brother would do anything for him. He’d be on board.”
She shifts to look up at me. “I appreciate what you’re doing, but I promise, I’m fine here.”
“Here…”
Her smile is slow. “With you.”
She rests her head back down, and there’s no way she doesn’t feel the way my heart is beating twice as hard. It doesn’t take long for her to fall asleep. The sun is going down, and I have no idea where Snapper is, but I don’t like that he would have left her alone for so long. Or maybe he knows I’m here because of the security system and is assuming that she’s fine with me? He could have at least said something, but that’s Snapper.
Anastacia doesn’t belong here. She shouldn’t be here with him. She would be so much better at home with me. I could protect her better. And when I’m not around, she’d be with Tommy, aretired cop. He would keep her safe. And Kelsey would help take care of her. That’s basically her dream, to take care of someone.
The only thing to figure out is how I’m going to bring it up to Snapper…
Well, I guess I should ask Anastacia first. I can’t make choices for her. That’s not okay. But it’s too soon to bring it up. We only just met, and there’s no reason for her to move in with me when she doesn’t even know me. That’s crazy.
I let her sleep for a while, until it’s completely dark outside. I hate to wake her, but I can’t imagine this being comfortable, let alone good for her. She’s pregnant and should be sleeping on the most expensive mattress made with all sorts of support and fancy soft sheets.
I move so I can stand, all while making sure she doesn’t fall over. Her eyes flutter open, confusion on her face.
“I’m going to bring you to bed,” I whisper.
She nods, taking in a deep breath as her eyes fall closed again.
I scoop her up with a hand under her knees and the other behind her back. I carefully hoist her up, not wanting to hurt her or the baby. She weighs practically nothing, which makes me sad. She should weigh more than this… certainly a pregnant woman shouldn’t be so light. I hope Snapper is feeding her properly. Though, with the house empty all the time, who’s making sure she’s taken care of? A pregnant woman shouldn’t have to do everything themselves.
I walk up the stairs, having no idea where I’m going. I peek into each room that I pass. The one at the end is the only one with women’s clothes in it, so I assume this must be the one.
Once I step inside, I know it is. Vanilla fills my nose, and I stop a moment to breathe it in. I continue to the bed, where I manage to pull the blankets down, then lie her on it and cover her up. She turns on her side, hugging the pillow and shifting around to getcomfortable. Her breathing slows down, turning to a soft snore. I kiss the top of her head.
Snapper may think it’s okay to leave her here alone, but I don’t.
I consider standing in her room to watch her sleep. Then decide that’s creepy, so I move outside and guard the door. But after a few moments, I realize this too is creepy, so I go back downstairs to sit on the couch. I don’t think there is a way to get upstairs other than the stairs behind me, and the couch isn’t far, so I can watch them.
I have no idea where the fuck Snapper is, but each minute that passes, I get angrier. What the hell is wrong with him leaving her like this? Why did he take her at all if this is how he was going to treat her?
I must doze off because I jerk awake when a lock snaps. I bolt up, blinking to see through the dark. The kitchen light flips on, and there’s some shuffling around. Then Snapper comes into view. He jerks his head in my direction, annoyance written all over his face.
“What are you doing here?” he snaps.
