With a sigh, I pushed myself up and out of the bed. I couldn’t let my efforts for running be wasted. I had to get things figured out, at least for a chance of life for the baby. It didn’t matter if my heart was broken into a million tiny pieces. What mattered was keeping this little one safe and alive.
Once in the kitchen, Taylor already had a bowl of oatmeal set out, waiting for me.
“That wasn’t so hard,” he muttered, pleased that I finally was doing something.
“You have no idea,” I said, slowly starting to eat.
“Oh, I think I do,” he said. “A story for another time though. You, eat. Then we talk.”
That didn’t sound too good.
~oOo~
A huge yawn escaped my mouth as I finished off a second bowl of oatmeal and a side of strawberries. I was tired, but I guess crying almost nonstop for over a week would do that to anyone. Add on being pregnant, too, didn’t help matters.
“So, who did you marry?” Taylor asked as he took the empty bowl and set it in the sink.
“Zachariah,” I answered. A pang of guilt set in my gut at the mention of him. My voice broke over the one word.
“He’s a bit old for you,” Taylor said. He still had that roughness to his voice, but I think it was just who he was.
“I love him,” I said. “I didn’t pick him, exactly.”
“Let me guess, Cody had something to do with that,” Taylor stated, not surprised.
“How do you know him?” I asked in way of an answer.
“He’s my cousin. Well, was. I ain’t got nothing to do with that family no more,” he stated with haste. “I tried to get Racheal to let me have you, but yeah. That didn’t work out well.”
“Yeah, well . . . not like I had any say over any of it,” I muttered. “Cody is dead. So is Racheal.”
“Shame,” Taylor said with a shake of his head. “I’d love to have a few words with that man. Anyhow, how was it that that boy got you, then?”
“He saved me, actually,” I said. “Cody and Lynn had both been planning to have me kidnapped, but didn’t know they were working against one another until it was too late. I got handed to Zachariah, and the rest is history.” I summed it up. It didn’t really matter what happened from then to now, did it?
“Huh,” he huffed. “I never saw the youngest son to be soft, but I guess you are the one girl that causes fights in all families.”
“Don’t remind me,” I said with a half laugh. “I’m tired of it all.” I still had no idea why everyone kept fighting over me. I was just a simple girl that had been handed one crazy life.
“Don’t blame you there,” he replied. “So, why are you running from him if you love him?”
“He doesn’t want kids,” I said sadly, looking at my hands. “He said as much, and I know he’d do anything to make sure I didn’t have any. I can’t risk it.”
“For you, he may change his mind,” Taylor said. He seemed to think as though my husband would do that like switching a light on. It wasn’t that easy; not when it came to my wants.
“A fat chance in hell on that,” I said. “He thinks killing an unborn baby is right. I can’t allow that to happen. Cody may have forced God on me, but I still believe killing is wrong. Even within a mafia family.”
“Sorry to break it to you, kiddo. But mafia families kill. They don’t care who you are,” Taylor stated flat out.
“The less I know, the better,” I yawned.
“I work the night shift. Will you be okay on your own?” Taylor asked.
“I’ll manage,” I grimaced.
“Here’s an extra cell I have. I have my number entered,” he said, pushing a black flip phone my way across the table to me. “There’s a gun in the safe under my bed and it’s left unlocked if you need it.”
“I don’t know how to use one,” I said, my eyes wide. Was he expecting something to happen?
