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My stomach sank as I sought my brother’s eyes. I knew this was why he’d called in security and that he would spare no expense to keep us safe, but it still made me sick. How had my life come to this? And why now?
At the end of the day, it didn’t matter. I could tackle the questions later. I had to protect my daughter, and as secure as I thought I was after all this time, I guess I’d underestimated the risks and become complacent. That was on me.
I swallowed and sucked in a deep breath, sliding my gaze to Justin. “Fine. You’ve made your point. What do I do about it?”
He tilted his head toward the house. “Shall we?”
I nodded and led the way back inside to the dining room. I got us all lemonade, then sat with a pad of paper and a pen next to my brother, facing Justin. He had the same folder from the diner on the table in front of him and he opened past the first page that I knew held my cursory personal details.
“Alright,” he said. “I think it would be best if you told me everything that’s happened from the start, then we can dive into details and a plan.”
My gaze shot to my brother. “Everything?”
“He needs to know, Liv.”
Of course he did. It didn’t matter that it felt totally unnatural and uncomfortable to share my personal business with a total stranger—a totally hot stranger, but still.
“Right.” I nodded and sucked it up as I told him what had been going on lately... Sofia seeing a guy at the park, her thinking it was her ex, someone trying to break in, then the note and slashed tires.
He wrote it all down, his face unreadable, then met my eyes. “Sounds like things have escalated fast.”
“Yes.”
“Any idea why?”
Something in his question felt accusatory. Like he thought I knew more than I was letting on. “No. That’s all—”
We were interrupted by Camden’s cell phone. He glanced at the caller ID, then to me. “It’s Vanessa.”
I waved him off to take the call. I’d taken enough of his time from his family and pregnant wife.
As soon as he stepped away, Justin set his pen down and leaned back in his chair, his pose deceptively casual, like a shark at rest. “‘She is mine,’” he murmured, the words from the note jarring as they rolled from his tongue. “Elizabeth.”
Not a question so I didn’t bother with an answer.
“Her father?”
I shifted, my attention acutely focused on my brother just out of earshot, though I refused to look his way.
Justin saw right through me, and a brow winged up in surprise. “Your family doesn’t know who it is?”
I focused instead on my hands clasped around my glass of lemonade. That was the one piece of information I’d kept to myself for so long. Out of shame. Regret. God, the regret. Now fear was taking hold and I wasn’t sure what to do.
A couple of tense seconds ticked by, then he blew out a breath. “Listen, Olivia. No judgment here. I’m not paid enough for that.” When I glanced up, he sat forward and rested his forearms on the table, pinning me with his gaze. “But if I was? It still wouldn’t matter. From where I sit, I see one hell of a strong woman who loves her daughter and provides a good life for her. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Something in my chest melted at his words. Even in this short time, I knew he wasn’t a man who spoke thoughtlessly. “Yeah, well, it’s a little more complicated than that... but thanks.”
“Well, complicated or not, for me to do this right, you’re going to have to tell me who the father is.”
“I know...” I quieted as Cam’s footsteps sounded, coming back our way. “Just not yet. Okay?”
I saw the argument in those icy eyes, but he relented as my brother came back in and sat down. Maybe he decided not to push me and risk losing the job or maybe he saw something deeper in me that just wasn’t ready to go there after all this time protecting myself from the past. I was working on getting there, and recent events were forcing my hand, but I just wasn’t ready to cave in yet.
“Sorry,” Cam said, not aware he was interrupting anything. “She was just checking in after her doctor’s appointment.”
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. All good.” He grinned. “Baby is healthy and big. Her C-section has been scheduled, though she’s getting so uncomfortable it can’t come soon enough now.”
