“Stay right there!” The woman snaps as Sawyer shifts beneath me, sliding his hand down in the back of the couch.
“Marissa, you need to calm down. We were never really together. We’ve not fucked in a year or more. You’re not thinking clearly.” Sawyer’s voice comes out smooth and soothing, but I don’t think it will be enough.
I’m scared to turn around. What if he lied and she is a crazy bitch with a gun? What if she decides I’m trying to steal her man and shoots me? He did say she has bad habits. Maybe she is high. I feel scared and confused. I want to believe everything he said earlier.
“I want to see Thea. You think you can push me out of the picture and start a new family with your whore. It’s not happening. I’ll kill us all before anyone else takes my family from me.”
Oh god. I feel sick. My head swims. I think I am going to pass out.
“When you feel my finger tap your right side twice, I want you to roll to the floor,” Sawyer’s voice is barely audible in my ear. I feel the gun in his other hand as it rubs over my thigh. This is seriously fucked. I’m pregnant and Thea is asleep down the hall.
“I mean it, Sawyer. I’m not going to go away so you can start a new family without me. You were supposed to be mine. I thought in time you’d realize you love me, and we’d be a real fa
mily. But you don’t love me.” The woman starts to cry. She’s unraveling and despite my fear, I feel terrible for her.
I feel Sawyer’s finger tap me once then again. I am scared but do as he said and drop to the floor between the couch and coffee table. I put my hands over my head and pray she doesn’t have a gun and that Sawyer doesn’t have to do something that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
“This is between you and me, Mar. Thea is down the hall sleeping. I want you to think hard about what you are doing and saying right now.” I hear the click of his gun as he cocks it.
“I love you, Saw. You stopped being with me, and I tried to act tough, but I can’t keep pretending. You threw me away. I tried drinking you away. Hell, I even tried fucking you away with any man who gave me attention, but it was never enough. I feel you under my skin. The only thing that makes you disappear for a little while is getting high.” I hear her sniffle, and something hits the floor. Then a loud pop sounds, and I just know she is going to kill us all if Sawyer doesn’t do something first to stop her.
Another shot goes off but this time I know Sawyer has shot her to protect me...our unborn child—to protect Thea and himself. Marissa screams and drops on the floor.
I get up from the floor scared to turn around until I hear a tiny voice say, “Daddee?”
I go straight to Thea and usher her back down the hallway. She doesn’t need to see her mother bleeding out on the living room floor.
I get Thea in my arms and sit with her in the rocking chair, doing my best to soothe her. She’s a smart kid and knows something is wrong.
Voices filter through the residence. There’s some shouting and then I hear Marissa crying that she never would have hurt anyone. I let out a sigh of relief. She’s alive. Then there is this other crazy part of me that wishes she were dead. I don’t want that crazy bitch anywhere near Thea or Sawyer. I don’t care of she is her mother. I make myself a promise that I will protect this sweet little girl with everything I have in me as if she were my own.
I don’t know what the future holds for Sawyer and me, but I can’t walk away from him.
I won’t walk away from Thea. As crazy as it may sound, I feel a connection to her. Maybe it is because she is my baby’s sibling. Or because I know what it is like to lose a mother even if the circumstances are different. I just know that this little girl needs me and I’m going to be here.
I’m going to be with Sawyer.
The bedroom door opens and Sawyer smiles at me. He crosses the room to us and drops to his knees, wrapping his arms around us the best he can.
“I’m sorry. I never thought she’d do something like this. I never knew she felt that way about me.”
I stroke my fingers through his hair. Thea has gone back to sleep in my arms. “What’s going to happen to her? To Marissa that is.”
“Club business. I didn’t shoot her. I shot at the ceiling to scare her and it worked.”
I nod. I know biker life is different. I don’t know all the ins and outs, but I am willing to learn.
“Did Thea see?”
I shake my head. “She was scared by the loud noise, but I told her we were watching a scary movie.”
“You two look so perfect sitting here together.”
“I should put her back to bed and get going. It’s late and it’s been a long day.”
Sawyer moves and takes Thea from me. I watch from the doorway as he tucks her into her butterfly covers. Sawyer is a good dad, maybe a bit savage, but still he’s protective and loves that little girl with all he’s got. I can only hope one day he has enough love to give me.
When he turns around and sets his sights on me, I have no doubt that he will. The bad ass stalks toward me. His hand goes to my belly. “How’s my boy?”