Slamming the trunk closed, I grip onto the cart and begin returning it, when it suddenly jerks to a stop. A frown mars my face, and I glance up, checking to see if the wheel got stuck, but my heart jerks to an unsteady stop, the blood rushing through my veins, when I see who’s blocking the cart from going any farther.
Zach Covington stands tall, his hair pulled back into that rugged man bun that I’m sure many women find attractive; only now, to me, it makes him look like an unruly, cruel son of a bitch.
It takes me a few seconds to find my footing, but when I do, I grip onto the strap of my purse for support, wishing I had some kind of weapon on me to protect myself with. I square my shoulders, and a grimace steals across my face.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Zach mentions, a sly smirk pulling across his lips.
I grit my back teeth together in response.
“Is it?” I cross my arms over my chest protectively. “Stay away from me and my daughter, or you’ll regret it.”
Zach throws his head back and laughs, the column of his throat working to contain his booming hysterics. I glance around the parking lot, hoping I can spot at least one person who’s close enough to us, in case anything happens.
“What are you going to do about it?” he asks in a low tone, taking a threatening step toward me.
I swallow thickly. “I’ll kill you.”
His brows jump into his hairline, and he smirks. “Just me? What about everyone else? We’re all guilty, aren’t we? Or at least that’s what you believe.”
My nostrils flare as I work to tamp down my anger. “I’ll kill anyone who threatens me or my daughter. You’ll do well to remember that.”
We stare at each other, chests heaving, tension cackling in the cool night air.
Zach takes another step forward, his leering gaze passing up and down my body, lingering on my hair. “Give Baz a message for me, will you?”
My face twists with disgust. “You already had the shares taken from you, what in the hell could you possibly want to talk to him about? Why stick around?”
I must’ve struck a chord, because the muscle along his square jaws clenches, as he works to control his anger. “Because I have faith in the Savages. In my brothers. Women like you, you come and go.”
The way he says it, with so many double-entendres, sends a sinister chill traveling down my spine.
“That a threat?”
Zach barks out a sharp laugh. It rains nails down my back. “If I wanted you dead, Mackenzie, you’d be dead. I’m quite enjoying toying with you right now, though. Just like a predator would its prey.”
My eyes narrow into thin slits. “I won’t let you hurt her.”
He blows out a sigh, feigning exasperation. “What is it with you Wright women and wanting to protect everyone?”
My heart lurches, and without thinking it through, I eat up the distance between us and swing my arm out, my hand colliding with his cheek. The slap echoes around us in the near empty parking lot.
“Don’t you dare,” I hiss.
In a flash of movement, Zach grips my wrist and tugs me into his chest. I beat my free hand against him, trying to push away, but his hold on me is unrelenting.
“You won’t be here long. He’ll get tired of you. Both of you.”
I swallow thickly. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”
Something flares in his eyes. It’s sinister and cold. It’s the same Zach who shoved a pillow over my face and tried to kill me. Fear claws at my chest at the look he’s giving me. This may very well be how it ends for me, all because I wanted an excuse not to face Baz.
“Everything okay here?”
Zach’s grip on me is gone in a flash, and I turn toward the source. One of the employees is out wrangling carts, headed in our direction.
“Everything is fine,” I hear Zach murmur, his voice sounding far away. When I glance over my shoulder, he’s already gone.
I’m jittery the whole drive home. I avoid Baz as much as I can once I get home, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Zach has been following me. Not only has he been following me, but he approached my daughter, and now me, what next?
When Ava falls asleep, I heave a deep sigh and climb out of her bed, leaving her door cracked in case she needs me. I’m not all that surprised when I spot Baz waiting outside of her room, leaning against the hallway, with his brows pulled together in contempt. I bypass him and head down the hallway toward my room, knowing he’s going to rip me a new one.
Baz steps into the bedroom and shuts the door behind him, silently fuming. The air surrounding us crackles with tension. He scrapes his hand down his face and sighs.
“I thought things were going well. Why the fuck do you need a gun, Mackenzie? You’re taking care of a child, for Christ’s sakes. You can’t leave a weapon like that lying around.”
“I’m not an idiot!” I snap. “I wasn’t going to leave a damn gun lying around for her to find. I just went there to see if I could get one. I need something to keep us safe. That’s exactly why I need a gun!” I dart my gaze around us, worried I might’ve woken Ava up with my raised voice. Stepping closer to Baz, I’m conscious to lower my voice. “Don’t you get it? They won’t stop. I may have finally given up and moved on, but I’m afraid they won’t. I need that protection, just in case. How can I keep her safe?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him about my run-in with Zach.
“You know damn well I’d never let anything happen to you. To either of you.”
I roll my eyes. “You can’t protect us twenty-four seven, Baz. You have your own life.”
“Don’t underestimate me, Mackenzie. I’m not letting them anywhere near you guys. Understand me?”
As if sensing how much I need to be held, Baz steps into me, sliding his hands around my neck, drawing my body into his. I go boneless in his arms, seeking his warmth. He presses his lips to the top of my head, and I slam my eyes shut.
“I’m scared.”
His grip tightens around me. “Don’t be. I told you, I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
“It’s not just that. I’m scared of you.”
I feel his body tense beneath me. “You still don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just confused. Having you here, it isn’t easy, because I want you to stay. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want Ava to get hurt.”
He’s silent as he processes. “I know. We’ll figure it out when the time comes, but right now, my first priority is keeping you both safe.”
I crane my neck back, meeting his gaze. Pressing onto my tiptoes, I seal my mouth over his and kiss him. It may not be the answer I was looking for, but he’s right. We have much more important things to worry about right now.
It’s a Friday night. Ava is playing in the living room with a painting pottery set Baz bought her in Bali, and we’re sitting on the couch watching TV. This has become somewhat of a routine for us. If Baz isn’t staying here with us, it’s Dan and one of the security guards staying overnight. There’ve been no more banging on doors or ringing of doorbells in the middle of the night, and neither Zach nor any of the guys have been back to Ava’s school.