The road blurs before me, so I yank on the wheel, pulling to the side of the road. My hands are shaking violently as I reach for my phone and dial Baz. His phone goes straight to voicemail, which means he’s probably in the air flying. I toss my phone onto the passenger seat and white knuckle the steering wheel, trying to control my breathing.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
My heart skitters, fresh tears teetering on the edge of my lashes. I blink rapidly, trying to hold them back. My mind is whirring with possibilities.
How did he find us?
How did he find Ava?
The scariest question is, what does he want from us?
I sniff, shifting around in my seat to face her. I paste on a wobbly smile, trying to hold back my tears.
“Nothing is wrong, sweetie. I just…” I clear the fear from my throat. “I just want to make sure you remember the conversation we had about strangers. If this man tries to talk to you again, I need you to tell one of the grown-ups, okay?”
Her brows pull together pensively, causing a crease to form between them. “Am I in trouble?”
“No. No, of course not. I just want to make sure you’re safe at all times. Got it?”
She nods, taking it in. I turn back around and slam my eyes shut, trying to pull myself together. Tomorrow, I’ll need to talk to someone at the school about what’s happening, just for my peace of mind.
The rest of the day, I’m a jittery mess, as I wait to get ahold of Baz. When he still doesn’t answer, I try to get ahold of Dan and tell him what’s happening instead.
He’s silent, on the other end of the line, after listening to my spiel. I had to whisper my fears, not wanting Ava to hear me and start to worry. She’s just barely forgetting about the door nonsense; I don’t want to scare her any more than she already has been.
“I think it would be a better idea if you stayed at the resort until Mr. King is back.”
I heave a tired sigh, rubbing at my temples. “She has school, Dan. I can’t just uproot her life because they’re toying with me.”
“Then I’ll stay there with you. I’ll follow Ava to school and keep an eye on her there.”
Some of the tightness in my chest ebbs away. I release a pent-up sigh. “Yeah, okay. That’s a good idea. When you get ahold of Baz, can you please tell him to call me?”
“I will. I’ll be there soon, Ms. Wright.”
Dan keeps his word and gets to the house in record time. I will sleep much better tonight, knowing he’s around and he’ll be there to protect Ava, in case I’m not overreacting about all of this. Baz calls me just before bed and is angry. He is doing whatever he can on his end to make sure no one comes near Ava or me. He wants the first flight back, but I urge him to stay put.
There is one option I have, and I plan on taking it. He won’t like it, but hell, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and I need to do whatever it takes to protect my family.
The next morning, after I drop off Ava at school and have a discussion with the principal, I breathe a little easier knowing Dan will be there protecting her. While they’re both there, I drive into the outskirts of the city and step onto a gun range. Glass cases all around the floor of the store house various types of guns. In the back is the gun range, but here, if I pass whatever necessary courses, I might be eligible to lease a gun. I need that sense of protection to feel safe. I need to feel like I can keep Ava safe in the event anyone ever breaks into our home.
Since Baz took my last weapon and, obviously, has no intention of giving it back, I need to find another way to keep my daughter safe.
Sucking in a lungful of air, I walk up to one of the attendants manning the glass casing. He’s huge—I’m talking lumberjack huge—and looks like a caveman with a beard that takes up the majority of his face. With half his hair pulled back into a manbun, he looks intimidating. He eyes me warily, taking in my appearance, as I close the distance between us.
“You lost?” His voice is gruff and hard, like it’s made of gravel and stone. My lips press together. I’m sure he thinks he’s funny. Because I’m a woman who probably looks like she’s in over her head walking into a place like this.
“I need to see if I can get a gun.”
His brows shoot up, and he leans forward, resting his forearms on the glass, all the more interested.
“And what would a pretty little thing like you need a gun for?”
“To protect my daughter and me.”
He sobers at the mention of protection and daughter. His eyes rake up and down my body, his gaze narrowing on me as if he’s deep in thought.
“All right.” He scratches at his beard. “I’m assuming you don’t have a license?”
I shake my head. “That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to do this the right way.”
He sighs as if helping me has suddenly become a thorn in his side. “Well, you’d need to follow the DROS process. After you’re cleared, you can lease or buy.”
I shift on my feet, hating the idea of waiting that long. “What if that takes too long? I need it now.” Especially with the institution on my background, it may take longer. Hell, they might give me a flat-out no.
He lifts his shoulder in a carefree shrug. “You gotta wait like everyone else.”
Heaving a deep sigh, I glance around, trying to find anything else I can purchase to use for protection.
“The only other option I can offer is a Taser.”
My eyes flick to his in resolution. “I’ll take it.”
It’s better than nothing.
It doesn’t take long for me to get a call from Baz, and when I do, he’s not happy with me, at all. I should’ve known he would find out. I should’ve figured he’d have me followed for my own protection, too.
When I pick up Ava from school, I’m all too sure I’ll have more than enough time to explain myself to Baz when he gets back into town. I was wrong.
My stomach churns when I see his car parked in front of the curb of the house, and he’s there leaning against the vehicle, arms crossed over his broad chest, a no-nonsense look on his face.
Well, shit.
After parking the car in the driveway and cutting the engine, Ava throws open her car door and runs toward him, completely excited to see him. He wipes that angry look off his face and drops down to his haunches to be at her level. She throws herself into his arms, and he hugs her back, smiling down at her.
“Hey there, kiddo. How was school?”
Ava breaks into discussion about her day at school, and Baz listens intently. As I unlock the front door, I can still feel the anger radiating off him in waves. Hell, I feel it throughout the entire night as he helps me with dinner and does homework with Ava. I try to draw out the time I spend with her before bed tonight, giving us an extra hour of TV, just so I don’t have to face Baz by myself because I know he won’t be happy with me.
I’m in the middle of making Ava’s lunch for school when I realize I’m out of snacks for tomorrow. I use that as an excuse to delay the inevitable conversation with Baz. While he stays home with Ava, I head to the grocery store, mentally preparing myself for the argument that is surely on the horizon.
Popping the trunk, I haul the groceries into the back, dreading the very moment I step back inside. I don’t know why a part of me feels bad for going out in search of a weapon, but Christ, what else am I supposed to do? I need to protect my daughter—by any means necessary. Is it risky? Yes, but it’s also necessary. I don’t want to feel unsafe in my own home, and the fact of the matter is, Baz isn’t always going to be here to protect us.