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“Yeah,” Cam said as he looked nervously to me. “I’m sorry. I kinda snapped at Kai yesterday and Willow saw. I scared her. I didn’t mean to,” he explained as he anxiously rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He forced a smile and looked to Willow. “I’m sorry, trouble. I won’t do it again,” he added.
“S’okay,” Willow shrugged and smiled a little as she sat up straighter and looked right at him. “I gets mad sometimes too. Do you want to come to the zoo wiv us?” she offered. “They gots red pandas!”
“Er, no…thanks. I…I have to work,” Cam told her, looking a little unsure and taken aback.
“Work can wait. Come with us, Cam. Have some fun for once,” Hunter pushed.
“No. I can’t.” Cam looked to me apologetically before he hurried past us and out of the sliding doors. I watched as he charged across the grass angrily. I had no idea how, but I was determined to find a way to help him and to heal some of the agony I saw in his eyes.
“Why’s he so sad, Mommy?” Willow asked. I marveled at the way she was so intuitive at such a young age. It likely had to do with her learning early on how to decipher her father’s moods. I looked to where she sat at my side, weighing up how much to tell her, but I wanted to be honest.
“Cameron had a brother, called Everett and he died, honey. That’s why he’s sad. He misses his brother,” I explained as I ran a hand through her blonde curls.
“Can we makes him feel better?” Willow asked as she looked from me to Hunter and then to Kai.
“I really hope so,” I replied sadly.
“If anyone can make him smile again, I know it will be you, munchkin,” Hunter added.
“Imma make him a picture, mommy. Can I go gets my colors?” she asked.
“That’s a great idea, peanut. You need me to help you carry them?” I offered.
“Eat breakfast,” Kai nodded behind me and when I turned, Sam was headed my way with a huge plate piled high with food. “I’ll help her.”
“We need to talk anyway,” Hunter added quietly, so I only just heard him and when I met his eyes, his expression was worried.This couldn’t be good.
I gasped as Sam placed the huge plate before me. It held three slices of toast, a mountain of scrambled eggs, and a stack of crispy bacon. Before I could protest, Sam spoke,
“Just eat what you can. That little one needs some calories.” He moved his eyes down to my bump, then back up and smiled at me.
“Thank you,” I told him. I knew he was right. I needed to try harder with what I ate for the sake of my baby who was fighting to grow inside me. It was just so hard to have an appetite with everything else that was going on.
Sam bustled back over to the kitchen as I picked up a slice of toast and took a bite.
“Okay,” I sighed. “Lay it on me.”
“Nico called this morning,” Hunter began, and my stomach instantly turned as my heart beat sped up.
“Edward?” I questioned as I dropped the toast back on the plate.
“Yeah. You don’t need to worry, but he started calling your cell yesterday and sending texts.”
“Let me guess. He threatened to take Willow from me if I don’t go back.” My voice was steady, but my hands were beginning to tremble as all of my fears of losing my daughter resurfaced.
“He can’t do that, Maddie. We have photos of what he did to you and Willow, and a restraining order, as well as a police report. The threats are empty,” he assured me.
“This is Frank. He wants us to go back so all of this can be covered up.”
“That’s what Nico thought too. He wants to pay Frank a visit. He’s going to show him the pictures of your and Willow’s injuries and warn him how public we can make it if he pushes things.”
“I don’t want Nico getting involved with him like that. Frank won’t like being threatened,” I worried. I didn’t know exactly what Frank was capable of, but I knew he could use his position to affect Nico’s life and his business.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Hunter told me.
“I have more pictures,” I admitted as I tried to work out the best way to play this. Of course I wanted my daughter and myself to be protected from Frank and his son, but I didn’t want to do that at the cost of Nico.
“What do you mean?”
