“That reminds me. I’m firing Yolanda.”
“As in Sammy’s nanny? Miss Philps?”
“Yes, her ass. Did you know she locked Sammy’s vests away? She has some fucking nerve. I wouldn’t have known either because Sammy was trying to protect her.”
“How did you find out?”
“Uri told me. He was livid after Sammy had a bad day without one. If not for the NDA, her ass was planning to report us.” I seethe.
LaSalle kisses my temple. “I’ll handle it. Maybe we shouldn’t bother replacing her. He never uses them. Maldonado spends more time with him than the nannies do. He’s always with Uri, Micheal, Sim, and Val.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want them feeling like we’re pawning our kid off on them.”
“Trust me, no one feels that way. Sammy does more than just hang around them. Uri has been paying him for his help.”
“Really?”
“Yes, if I wanted to hand the family over next week, Sammy would have more knowledge about how to do so than Marcus ever will. Bobby wouldn’t have to advise him much.”
“Where has the time gone?” I groan. “He’s taking trips to California while we’re sleeping. Elijah wanted to make his own eggs this morning, and they’re all potty-trained. Heck, Jess needs to go shopping for her first bra.”
“Those eggs were delicious. I was so proud of him. Loved the way you handled that, by the way. Thank God for the potty-training and I don’t want to talk about the bra. I’m not ready.”
I laugh. “Well, it’s happening. Can we talk about what else is happening?”
He groans. “I knew this was coming.”
“He’s still a little boy. Going to Uri and Val’s is one thing. He might go into the city when they are there, but other than that, he’s close to home. California, LaSalle? Are you forgetting who we are?”
He snorts bitterly. “There isn’t a day where I get to forget who we are. Maldonado is with him and he’s with a bunch of trained killers. Tasha, I know this is hard, but this is something we’re going to have to learn to deal with.”
I sigh, knowing he’s right, but I’m still a mother. On top of that, I’m a mother married to the world’s most hated man. If someone harms one of my babies or my man, I’m going to take everything they love, but that won’t give back what I’ve lost.
I know firsthand what that looks like. I’ve seen it so many times. Trying to reconcile what Sammy needs to do with how it’s being done is something I’m struggling with.
“This isn’t easy.” I pout.
“I know, baby. I know. Come here. I’ll show you what’s easy,” he growls into my skin as he wraps his arms around my waist.
Nellie
I hada nice time in New York. That was such a fun children’s party. It was good to see the girls and get to hang out with them.
I needed that. Wyatt thinks I’m struggling because of the baby, but that’s not it. If I tell my husband what’s really going on, he might murder someone.
So I’m sitting here in the new baby’s nursery, hiding out as I sob as silently as I can. Wyatt told me to go and relax as he fed Nora and Evan before dropping them off at his parents’.
I’m trying to get it all out before he returns. I swipe at the tears and flip through the cruel pictures once again, not able to help myself. Each picture cuts a bit deeper.
That’s what they were meant to do. My father’s wife is a cruel bitch who’s out to break me. The funny thing is, I don’t think he knows or cares.
About a year and a half ago, my half-sibs reached out to me. My sister was getting married, and my brother was having his second baby. Each of them wanted me to come to celebrate with them.
Zander wanted me to meet his fiancée and first daughter, and Peaches wanted me to be in her wedding. I couldn’t be a part of either. I wasn’t trying to be a jerk.
I just couldn’t with work and Alliance stuff going on. My father’s wife was upset and took it as a slight. After Peaches wedding, she started with the pictures.
Father-daughter pictures from the wedding. Photos of her with my siblings. Now Peaches has had a baby and she’s taunting me with photos again.
