“Why?”
“Just don’t.” She jerks on the door handle.
“We’re five blocks from your house.”
“I’ll walk,” she growls between clenched teeth. “You need to stay away from me.” When I don’t open the lock, she holds her phone up. “I’m calling 911.”
“Fine.” I pop open the lock. She’d only be calling me but there’s no need to pour salt into the wound. She’s not ready to walk away from her family, her ‘step’ family, and there’s nothingI can do about it. “When you’re ready, I can get you to a place where no one will find you.”
The door slams shut, and I’m rewarded with the back of her head. Stubborn fucking girl. I shake my head. What do they do to her to keep her from running when they’re locked up?
Chapter Seventy-One
Emily
After dinner, I hold the baby close to my chest, kick my feet up onto the coffee table and lean into Jake’s side. When he wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head, I sigh and inhale his scent. Fresh soap and cologne mixed with baby shampoo. Pure heaven. I could live like this forever.
“I wish we were here at the same time more.” The baby squirms in my arms, readjusting until she’s content. We’re learning each other’s rhythms, so unless I’m changing her or giving her a bath, she’s easy to console. And the girl loves to eat her feelings after changing.
“About that. I talked to your mom today, she said she feels confident she can watch her during the day. The doctor released her to light duty, and if she needs help lifting her, Kaleb has switched to nights.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Kaleb has switched to nights?”
“Yes, he’s switching for a few weeks to help your mom with Grace.”
“But he just got off nights.”
Jake shrugs in response. “He owes me for that Christmas where he interrupted our visit in your mom’s kitchen.”
“I thought that was Spencer.”
His eyes darken as his jaw flexes. “Do not bring that guy’s name up around me. As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t exist.”
I bite my bottom lip to keep from grinning as I tilt my head and stare pensively at the ceiling. “I wonder what he’s doing now. I might still have his number.”
“If you call him, I’ll find him and punch him in the face again.”
“Again?” I arch an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware that there was any punching involved.”
His body stiffens beside me. “We might’ve had words when he returned from Brookhaven. Okay, it was more my fist in his face than words. And for his safety, if you happen to care so much about him, I wouldn’t contact him if I were you.”
Grace’s eyes pop open into little slits as if she senses the energy shift in the room. “Don’t cry, baby girl.” I lift her closer to my face and kiss her temple. “I’m sorry for teasing Daddy, but it’s impossible to resist getting a rise out of him. He’s a possessive man.”
“Yes, I am, and I have no problems saying it.”
I wink and settle back against him. “You don’t have any reason to be jealous of what’s his name or anyone else for that matter. I love you, and no one else.”
His eyes are warm and filled with lust. “You don’t know what that does to me. You saying that you love me and calling me Grace’s daddy in the same conversation.”
“Oh….” My heart skips a beat in my chest. “I wasn’t even thinking. It just came out.”
“Well, keep saying it.” He cups my cheeks. The adoration in his gaze makes my toes curl. “I love you. I’ve loved you for so long that I don’t remember what it feels like not to have youinvading every inch of me. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have your heart in my hands.” He shifts his attention to Grace. “And this little bonus baby is the icing on the cake. I’ll always protect and cherish both of you.”
“That’s the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me.”
His thumb brushes along my cheekbone. “It had better be or we’d be back at the start of the conversation where I threatened to slay all the other men that have touched you, looked at you, thought about you, breathed around you–”
I laugh and shake my head, cutting into his list of grievances. “Enough already. I’m yours.”
