2
Six Weeks Later
Joy beamed as she rocked Arden, who’d fallen asleep in her car carrier on the way home from her final post-natal visit.Sure, she’d wailed when she’d gotten her shots, but even that hadn’t riled her for long.She’d taken it like a champ and now seemed as docile as a kitten instead of the ferocious mini-dragon she sometimes transformed into.Wonder where she’d gotten that temper from?Oops.
A soft chuckle fell from Joy’s lips.
Despite how worried she had been for both the trip into town and the visit itself, the doctor had confirmed what she already knew: Arden was perfect.
The most insignificant things about her daughter could hold her spellbound—a simple smile, the hazel color of her eyes, how tiny and precious every one of her fingers were.In fact, everything about the past six weeks had been magical.
Alone, she’d bonded with her baby and had nearly forgotten about the world waiting outside their very temporary haven.They’d have to go soon; she’d probably stayed too long already.Joy finally felt strong enough to take on the challenge of finding a permanent place to raise her daughter and rebuild their lives.
Today, she’d only imagined she’d seen Clive once while she’d exposed Arden and herself long enough to visit the clinic.Even then, she’d gotten her heart rate under control before her hands turned clammy or her stomach revolted.When driving home, she’d barely looked in the rearview mirror a half dozen times more than necessary.Progress.
For the first time in Joy’s life, she imagined what it might be like to be…content.
When days had turned into weeks and no one had broken down the cottage’s door or dragged her back to her stepfather’s house, she’d started to believe that maybe he didn’t care about her defection as much as she’d feared he would.It didn’t even hurt her feelings because it meant she and Arden might be free to start over and live their lives however they chose.
Though they might struggle, especially right at first, Joy could make the most of a little to build something that was hers and hers alone.Beholden to no one.Unfettered by the repercussions that stemmed from dabbling in the gray areas of the law and the unsavory players that operated in that space.Like her stepfather.
Joy took a deep breath and tipped her face upward, relaxed for a moment.
She should have known that couldn’t last.
A triple rap echoed through the bungalow that had been her safe haven.Loud enough and insistent enough to startle the baby awake.Which of course meant that Arden began to cry and that those cries were going to turn to wails if Joy didn’t do something to appease her daughter.Like pick her up or feed her or sing her a lullaby.
In truth, those tactics might not work and the diva part of Arden, which she’d certainly inherited from her father, would emerge.
Joy was going to murder whoever was out there disturbing their solitude.
She stormed to the door, only remembering that no one knew she was there right before she’d nearly ripped the thing off the hinges so she could bark at the intruder.At the last moment, she hesitated, her fear returning as Arden’s cries grew more insistent in the background.
Shit.
No one had been by this old abandoned cottage in the entire time she’d been squatting in it.In fact, Dane had once told her that no one had been there in years until he and Walker had used it for some much-needed relaxation of their own immediately after leaving the service.Part of her had maybe even hoped that’s where they’d gone when they’d defected from her stepfather’s empire—and her—once and for all.
That’s why she’d picked the place when she fled.
Not that she’d had a lot of options with Arden on the way and very little cash in her pocket.Still, there was no use in pretending she wasn’t there when Arden made it obvious someone was home.So instead she peeked out the sidelight, then froze.
Clive.
How the fuck had he found her and what was he doing here now?
She wasn’t going to give in to him without a hell of a fight.She’d come too far to go back.
Schooling her pulse to remain steady, Joy mentally reviewed her preparations.She wasn’t entirely ready yet, but she’d known this could happen.There was a duffle bag of emergency supplies in the trunk of the car at all times.She just had to get him to leave or be distracted long enough that she could grab Arden and put the escape plan into motion.
Where they would go next, she had no clue.It didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t with Clive.
“Come on, Joy.”He spoke to her through the door as if he were an innocuous, rational human being.Something she knew to be an utter lie.Pure evil like him shouldn’t even be within a mile of her innocent child.“I know you’re in there.I spotted you in that piece of shit town and figured you had to be here.What were you doing at that doctor’s office anyway?And whose baby is that?Open the door so we can talk.”
Ah, shit.She’d concocted a million different stories, but in the end, she figured the truth might work the best to deter Clive.Make herself as undesirable as possible to him.Besides, he was persistent and nosey and a complete toady.He would at the very least tell her stepfather every last word of what he discovered today.So she might as well give him the message she needed passed along anyway.
It could be her only chance to extricate herself from their world for good.
Joy prayed she was making the right decision.She looked over her shoulder at Arden and knew her baby was worth the risk.After a deep, shaky breath, she opened the door.