Everything in me locks tight at her words.
Take my child?
Not a chance in hell.
I would rather die a thousand deaths than hand her over to this woman.
A thousand deaths.
“Get the fuck away from me,” I say through gritted teeth.
Wren drinks her bottle, having no idea what’s happening around her.
Lucky for her.
“Why must you talk to me like that when I’m only trying to be nice?” she says, and something in her voice changes.
“You are as nice as a fucking scorpion. Pretty from a distance but poisonous up close.” Her eyes go hard, and she looks behind me.
I turn and Keir’s standing there watching the interaction. “Get your fiancée away from me,” I demand. “And tell her to stay out of Wren’s room while you’re at it.”
Paige smiles softly at Keir. He doesn’t speak, just takes one look at me, our eyes locking, before he opens his mouth to say, “Go… make yourself busy, Paige.”
I hear her growl, then huff.
“Paige,” Keir warns her.
When I look away from Keir to find her gone, I sigh in relief.
“I know you don’t see me as a threat, and I’m not even on your radar,” I say, looking down at Wren and smiling at her before I look back at Keir. “But if you ever think you can take my child away from me, I will find a way to slice you in every way possible, and I will smile when you take your last dying fucking breath.”
“That turned dark quickly.” He takes the empty seat where Paige was.
“What can I say, gotta keep you on your toes somehow.” I smile but it’s all fake as I am steaming mad. He smiles back and it’s the first one I’ve seen from him in the last few days that actually looks real. His hand scrubs down his face, and I can tell something is stressing him, but I’m not sure I want to know what.
Or that I even care.
No, that’s a lie. I care. More than I should.
“Is there a reason we are all here?” I ask.
Wren reaches up and pulls on my hair after she finishes her bottle, and Keir watches our interaction with eyes that hold so many secrets. I wonder if he will ever tell me anything.
“I need you safe. What better way than here with me.” I stifle a yawn and place Wren on the floor. She’s doing that thing where she gets on all fours and starts rocking back and forth, wanting to move, but not quite doing it.
“You didn’t care about me months ago.”
“That’s a lie,” he snaps.
I look down at Wren. “I raised her by myself for months. Where were you once you knew about her?” I shouldn’t be having this conversation with him right now. But then again, why not? I thought I could get by without asking him, but I just can’t.
“I had Joey with you.”
I nod. That is true, but I hardly spoke to Joey. Yes, he drove me places and got things when I needed them, but that was it. It’s not the same and he knows it.
“Why weren’t you there?” I ask.
“I didn’t want you, or to be around you.”
Wow! Um, okay, didn’t expect that answer at all.
“I thought that way anyway. Figured if I thought it long enough, it would come true. Plus, you had a girl, and I shouldn’t want a girl.” His eyes go soft as they fall to Wren. “I want Wren with every fiber of my being…” his dark eyes lock on mine, “… and I want you even more.”
My head starts shaking and he rises from his seat and moves over to me. I look up as he leans down, his face coming close to mine. “I want you, Sailor. I want you more than anything.” He reaches for my hand and places it on his crotch—his cock, to be precise. I’m so shocked by what he’s doing that I just stare at where my hand is being held and gasp. He leans down farther, his lips coming near my ear. “Tell me you want me too.”
“You have a fiancée,” I state. “This can’t happen.”
“But it can, and it will.” His mouth moves to my cheek, then his nose drags along, smelling me, as he comes near my mouth. In seconds, his mouth is connected to mine and his lips sweep across my closed ones before his tongue darts in. He pushes me so my back hits the couch and he leans down over me. “Tell me you will stay with me… in my bed.”
“Enough.” Paige’s voice rings through the room, but Keir makes no move to get up. I have to push at his chest to get him off me. He may not care that she’s there, but I do.
“Get off me, Keir,” I say, even though his mouth is still there, on me, wanting me.