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36
Jaynee
I held Sadie’s hand on the way to school to soothe her after Richard ate breakfast with us. Any time he was around, she cried, afraid he would kill me. It broke my heart.
He, of course, blamed me for Sadie’s behavior. “You’re poisoning her against me,” he’d said right in front of her.
He was so full of shit. I’d only kept the identity of Sadie’s father secret because that was what he’d wanted. He could’ve had a relationship with his daughter. Now it was too late. Sadie refused to believe he was her dad, wholly convinced her daddy was Zander. It amazed me how someone so young could be so freaking stubborn. And smart. My girl was the most intelligent preschooler to ever live because not once did she mutter Zander’s name. It was like she knew not to.
I’d been walking on eggshells since Richard had pulled the knife the other day. He hadn’t come after me or mentioned getting rid of the baby again. But I knew he would. It put me on edge, stressing me to the max as I waited for his confrontation.
I leaned my head on hers. “After school, we can play in the pool if you’d like?” I kept my voice low, so the men in the front seats didn’t hear.
“No,” she snipped. Nothing made her happy. Not her favorite foods or treats. Not the toys Richard had bought. Not movies or dancing. My sweet girl was as miserable as me, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. What we both wanted, we couldn’t have.
The driver pulled into the drop-off lane. “We’ll be watching the building, Ms. Lloyd.”
I rolled my eyes. “How lovely for you both.” I unbuckled Sadie from her car seat, then scooted out of the SUV.
“Ms. Lloyd?” the driver called.
I lifted my sunglasses onto my head to shoot him a dirty look. “What?”
“You don’t have to hate us. We’re just doing our jobs.”
If Sadie wasn’t around, I’d give him a piece of my mind. He made it sound like they didn’t have a choice. Idiot. They were Richard’s henchmen, here to keep us from running away. They weren’t our friends.
I slammed the door and plastered on a smile. No telling how many people at this school were on Richard’s payroll. The last thing I needed was someone giving him an unfavorable report about me. I was already on thin ice with the pregnancy.
At the steps leading into the building, I bent toward Sadie. “Let’s have some fun today, okay, sweetie?”
“I want Zander.”
Those three words gutted me no matter how many times I heard them. If she only knew how badly I also wanted him. I dreamed about him appearing out of nowhere on his Harley and telling me to get on. No man had ever made my body heat and my spine tingle the way Zander did. When that alpha biker got bossy and demanding, I melted. He was definitely badass boyfriend material in his leather cut and faded jeans, like he’d said. God, I missed him.
Not listening to Zander when he told me to not leave with Richard might have been the biggest mistake of my life. I’d done it to keep him out of prison. I’d do anything for him.
Admittedly, I should’ve taken more time to consider how my actions would affect my daughter.
“I know, baby. Let’s go inside and have fun. Do you want to paint?”
She scowled and tugged her hand away. “No! I want my daddy!” She sprinted toward the street.
“Sadie, stop!” I trotted after her as best I could. I wasn’t a runner, and she was tiny and fast weaving in and out of people. “Sadie!” I panted, sucking in the air.
Parents stopped to watch me. I couldn’t imagine how pathetic I must’ve looked heaving as I ran. Couldn’t they help and grab my kid before she went onto the busy road? Was it that entertaining to see a fat woman run? Assholes.
“Sadie!” I pushed myself harder. My heart chugged in my chest like a train going up a mountain.
I had never experienced fear like this before.
I wasn’t going to catch her.
Please, stop Sadie. Please, baby girl.
Then I saw him.
Richard’s driver crossed the yard like he was an Olympian in the fifty-yard dash and swooped Sadie off her feet.
