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“This is Lily’s nanny, Aspen Palco. Aspen, my brother, Allister Sterling.”
Aspen flashes him a quick smile, but waves me aside. “It’s Pike?—”
“Where’s the birthday girl?!”
The loud, southern tone overtakes both the music and the din of the guests. My stomach curdles instantly as I spin around. Raya and Matthew march through the back gate with a shiny new unicorn bike between them.
“Come on out and give your cousin Raya a hug, honey!” Raya hollers as I step forward.
I scan the crowd for Caden, and my eyes lock on his on the other side of the yard. He’s ready to pounce.
“I’m the birthday girl, but I don’t have any cousins,” Lily announces, showing herself.
“Oh, no…” Aspen breathes. “Do something!”
I spin around, looking for the sheriff or his deputies, any of which were supposed to have been following this psychopath. There’s no sign of anyone.
“Sure you do, baby! I’m your daddy Ryker’s cousin, which makes me your cousin, right?”
The shock of seeing them wears thinner, and I move through the crowd, Caden on the other end.
“Is that for me?” Lily asks, and I think of all those conversations we’ve had with her about speaking to strangers. All out the window with a shiny pink bicycle.
Rage boils inside me, but before I can reach my ward, I’m gently pushed aside by familiar hands.
“Lily!” Aspen’s voice sounds through the thick of the crowd, and the child’s head whips toward it as if they are joined by a thread. The nanny makes her way next to the girl as Raya’s clear eyes narrow to slits. I stop in place, my instinct to let Aspen handle it. Caden also freezes, despite his naked ire.
Lily fully turns away from Raya, causing the woman to visibly stiffen.
“And who might you be?” Raya drawls, clearly not recognizing this new player.
Aspen completely ignores her and crouches down to meet Lily’s eyes. “Say thank you and don’t forget about your other guests, okay?”
“Okay, Aspen,” Lily agrees. She glances at Raya. “Thank you.”
With that, she spins around and takes off back toward her playhouse, leaving Aspen to straighten up and face the clearly incensed Raya, who watches Lily disappear out of view. Raya’s jaw locks, and I step in closer to Aspen, sensing an altercation about to unfold.
“Aspen? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” Raya purrs, extending her hand.
“Nor will you get the pleasure,” Aspen retorts, wiping the smug smirk off Raya’s face.
“That’s no way to treat a guest,” Matthew mocks her.
My phone is dialing Sheriff Lahey, but the call goes directly to voicemail. I am expecting him to attend today, too, but for the moment, he has left us blind.
“You’ve been warned about trespassing here,” Aspen says coldly as Raya balks, realizing she’s met her match in the pissed-off woman. “I don’t think you’re getting the message clearly enough. Security!”
“Don’t make a scene, you crazy bitch!” Raya hisses, all southern decorum out the window.
Two armed guards appear as Matthew runs for the bushes. “Get them out of here, and make sure they’re deposited outside the gate. Also, let me know who’s working the gates. They will need to be replaced for letting these two through.”
I get a semi listening to her as the party guests figuratively clutch their pearls, whispering amongst themselves as they speculate about what’s going on.
That’s our woman, I want to yell out, not caring about the talk that this will bring on tomorrow.
“She’s the nanny? Seems a little too strict,” Allister complains in my ear. I didn’t notice that he’s been following me through the party, and I glower at him.
“Those assholes are trying to take Lily from us,” I retort sharply. “She’s amazing.”
