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“I’m not. I just landed. Don’t call the sheriff yet. I want to get some answers from her. But keep her away from Lily!” I yell, rushing toward the waiting Range Rover.
“Obviously I’m not letting her anywhere near Lily,” Pike says, and I chomp down on the insides of my cheeks trying to calm my nerves.
When I get in the car, Ryan is nervous about the activity happening at the house. “It’s very tense, and they refuse to leave.”
“Can you drive faster, please?” I ask Ryan.
We’re home in less than thirty minutes, and I fly into the house, the tension almost knocking me over as I enter.
“GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!” Caden chants over and over in a loud, even tone.
“I already told you we’re not leaving until we see Lily,” a honey-toned female voice answers just as flatly. “She’s our kin, like it or not. She ain’t yours, babe!”
I rush into the living room and barrel straight into Pike, who’s pacing about, unsure of what to do. All eyes fall on me.
The hostility in the air makes me regret telling Pike to hold off on calling the sheriff. My need to get answers is gone, and now the only thing I want is to get them as far away from my ward as possible.
“Why are you here, and what were you thinking showing up here without an invitation?” I roar, barely unable to control my rage.
Raya smiles at me charmingly and steps forward. “Ah, the third musketeer, I presume. I’m Raya Parker, and this is?—”
“I know who you are, and that doesn’t change the fact that I will have you both thrown in jail if you don’t leave. Now.”
Her faux smile fades, and she stares at me hatefully. “You can’t keep us away from our family,” she tells me. “One way or another?—”
I cut her off. “Lily has never met you, and Ryker never mentioned you once in all the years we’ve known him.”
Raya's lips curl into a derisive smirk. “Blood runs thicker than water, after all. And sweet little Lily is family,” she purrs, her tone dripping with false sweetness.
I scoff, the bitterness rising in my throat. "You're not family," I retort sharply. "Ryker had no relationship with you. And I won't let you anywhere near Lily—not now, not ever,” I tell them shortly. “You’re trespassing on private property.”
“You have no right—” she begins to retort.
“I’m giving you ten seconds before I call the sheriff,” I interrupt her. “Nine, eight?—”
Her icy verdant eyes pop, and she looks at her companion. “C’mon, Matty. It looks like coming in nice wasn’t the right way after all. You were right. These guys are too big for their britches.”
He flashes a mouthful of rotted teeth at me, but I don’t flinch. “Four, three?—”
Raya rushes toward the door, clearly in no rush to meet Sheriff Lahey or any other law enforcement.
I try to keep my fingers from shaking as I dial out, and the town sheriff answers on the third ring.
“Cypress Gardens Sheriff Department. Sheriff speaking.”
“Mike, this is Flint Sterling at 76 Sunset Terrace.”
“Hey there, stranger! I haven’t seen you since our poker game last month. You still mad I made off with your shirt?” he chortles.
“I need your help, Mike,” I tell him grimly. “But I need you to be discreet.”
Mike’s tone changes as he hears the stress in my voice. “Anything, buddy. What’s going on? Are you all right? Is the little miss?”
“I’m going to send you a photo of two people I caught on my security cameras. They were trespassing on my property, and I suspect they’re up to no good here in town.”
“Sure, Flint,” the sheriff agrees. “Send them along. I’ll send out an APB right away.”
Raya scoffs loudly and gives me the middle finger before bounding toward the road, Matthew in tow. “You haven’t heard the last of us,” she promises as I slam the door.
