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Saxon had been around a lot this past week. He didn’t work at the stables when I wasn’t at the yoga studio. We had been spending all our free time together.
“Hey, Haisley,” Trace said, coming up beside me. “Our schedules haven’t been matching up. It’s almost as if we are purposely being kept apart.”
I glanced at him, realizing I hadn’t seen him but from a distance since the day Saxon had walked in on Trace flirting with me.
“Uh, yeah,” I replied, not wanting to talk to him now either.
“So, you and the baby daddy still getting along?”
“His name is Saxon,” I said. “And, yes, we’re doing great. Thanks for asking.”
Trace leaned too close to me and smirked. “If it goes south, you let me know.”
“It won’t,” I snarled, annoyed. “I have to go.”
I took my purse and headed outside. Trace was laying it on thicker than usual. Maybe our schedules would continue to be at different times. I preferred not dealing with him.
I had two hours before my next yoga class, and I was craving a chocolate milkshake. After my next class, Saxon would be here to get me, and I was anxious to see him. I found myself clinging to him the more we were together.
Silver had been behaving better since Christmas and had even spoken to me on the phone once. She texted me back when I sent her texts, so that eased my mind. My mom hadn’t said anything about the gift certificate to get a pedicure and manicure we’d given her. I didn’t know why I’d expected her to, but it hurt that she hadn’t even mentioned it.
With Silver doing better, I wasn’t constantly worried, and I could enjoy being in love. My future with Saxon felt safe and solid. Life was being good to me.
“Hey, sis.”
AJ’s familiar voice startled me.
I spun around to find him leaning against the wall inside the alley between the yoga studio and the health food store. He had on a baseball cap and dark sunglasses, but I knew my brother, even with his bad excuse for a disguise.
I scanned the area around me before walking into the alley. “What are you doing here?” I hissed.
He smirked. “I thought you’d be happier to see me.”
“I would have been happy if you’d called. You can’t be in Ocala, AJ. You know that!”
He leaned closer to me. “Why? Because your baby daddy and his friends don’t want me here?”
My nails dug into my palm. “So you do know I’m pregnant, and you haven’t called once to check on me?” I asked angrily. “Do you know Mom kicked me out? That Silver was dating some thug in a gang? That she was taking drugs?”
AJ chuckled as if this were funny. “Red Kings aren’t a fucking gang. They’re kids acting like they’re badass because they sell some shit drugs inside the high schools. Silver is fine, and clearly, you’re doing great. Designer yoga clothes, expensive kicks, and Oakley sunglasses. I was surprised when I found out you’d gotten knocked up, even more shocked about who the daddy was.”
I pointed at his chest and pushed hard. “But you weren’t there when we needed you.”
“Because your boyfriend and his Mafia family ran me out of town,” he said with a sarcastic tone.
“You took Aspen from the hospital,” I reminded him. “That Gina woman hurt her. Broke her arm!”
He looked annoyed. “Gina paid for it. With her life. That’s not my concern.”
“Your life had better be your concern. Get out of this town. Go back to Orlando. But call and check on things. Don’t just disappear without a word again. Mom doesn’t need that. She’s already lost one kid.”
He sighed and pushed off from the wall. “Okay, this is getting annoying,” he said as his hand wrapped around my upper arm tightly.
I jerked at it, and his grip became painful. “Let go of me!”
“No, I don’t think I will, sis. You’ve become valuable. I had to wait to be sure,” he said as he began pulling me further into the alley and away from the street. “See, at first, Saxon didn’t want you. He was pissed off about the pregnancy. I wasn’t sure if your pretty face was going to win him over.”
The deeper we went into the alley, the more I fought against his hold. He ignored it, shoving me forward without letting go.
“Then, next thing I see is him coming to get you from work and not being able to take his hands off you. Looking at you with those eyes full of love.” He shoved me around a corner and toward a back parking lot. “That’s when I knew you’d just become important. And fucking easy to use.”
I tried pulling away as he stopped at the back of a van that said something about carpet cleaners. “What is wrong with you, AJ?” I asked, starting to panic.
