I parked the car and looked at Sawyer, who was sleeping peacefully. She was curled in my direction, her hand cupped over her stomach. Our child. Our boy. The moment was perfect. I’d sensed earlier that she’d been about to say I love you. But something had stopped her. I wanted to say it to her, I was sure about how I felt, but it needed to be special. That was the ultimate commitment from me. I love you is as good as forever. I wanted that with Sawyer.
And her parents…her fucking parents. They were insane. I wanted Garrick to have them investigated. It should have been done sooner, but with the baby, the stalker, and just working on us, I hadn’t done it.
Shit.
We still had no leads on who this was except that she was female. Another letter had come yesterday. This one was addressed to me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. My blood ran cold.
She has to go.
You’re my real beau.
If not she’ll die.
And go bye-bye.
Love,
Your future wife
The childlike simplicity made it creepier. I watched Sawyer. No one’s going to touch her. What a fucking mess. And now I had a baby boy. Knowing his gender made everything real, and not once had I wanted to run. I wanted this. I wanted Sawyer and our baby.
I checked my rearview mirror to make sure the security men were in place. I’d let Sawyer sleep for a bit more. My phone vibrated, giving me a welcomed distraction.
Edge: Seriously, man. Is Sawyer fucking with me?
I chuckled.
Me: You not enjoying bread and water?
Edge: Fuck you, man. I’m going out of my mind.
Me: Is what Sawyer’s doing working?
Edge: Yeah.
Me: Then I would listen to her.
Edge: I hate you.
Me: Kisses and cuddles
.
Edge: Asshole.
She stirred and stretched. “Where are we?”
I put my phone away. “Cocoa Beach cemetery.”
Sawyer looked around outside, slow to react. “Okay…”
I grabbed the bag from the back seat and took a deep breath. Knoah was the only other person who knew about this. “This is something I do every year. It’s Dylan’s birthday. So I sit and have a drink while I tell him about what’s going on.”
Sawyer reached out her hand, her eyes going soft like they always did. “I didn’t expect you to bring me or tell me. This is special and personal.”
“I know, but I want you here.” That was the truth. Having Sawyer here, knowing I could share this with her, made it more bearable.
“There’s no place I’d rather be.”