“Try Fort Knox cracked out on ‘roids.”
Claire and I laughed, watching the bay horse she was training nibble on some grass. “How’s the custody stuff going?” Claire asked.
“Slow. Levi sent off everything to Jeremy, and we’re just waiting for the next hearing in three weeks.”
“Is that safe? Can he find you?” Delilah asked.
I picked at my nails, remembering Levi’s words from the day we met. “No. Levi promised he wouldn’t find me because of that. Jeremy’s hired a PI, though, so…” I shrugged a shoulder. “It’s just a matter of time before he pops up and ruins everything.” I couldn’t think about it for too long or I’d get lost in a spiral.
“We won’t let him get to you,” Delilah said, while Claire nodded, rubbing my back.
“How are…other things?” Claire asked. My eyes narrowed. “With you and Levi,” she explained. “After the lunch you stormed out of.”
My stomach dipped, and I shook my head. “I didn’t storm out. I just…left.”
“I’ll warm up my throwing arm,” Delilah said, with a near-feral look in her eyes.
“No, it’s not like that.” I rested my arm on the railing and sighed. “He just told me the stuff about Sterling, and it caught me off guard. But I shouldn’t have left like I did. It was stupid of me.”
Tires crunching on gravel pulled my attention from them. When I turned, I couldn’t believe it was Levi’s black BMW coming to a stop next to my house. It was like I manifested him out of thin air.
“Talk about flawless timing,” Delilah murmured and took a sip of beer while leaning back against the paddock.
We hadn’t talked since the diner, and my heart was in my throat at the sight of him. He was so beautiful, so out of place at this rundown ranch in his tailored suit and neatly styled hair; I wanted to mess it up. I wanted to see him crack, wanted to see how he looked when he wasn’t so in control.
“What are you doing here?” I squeaked once he was within earshot. “Not that you can’t come here. Of course, you can come here. Whenever you want. Was just wondering if there was a reason.” I snapped my mouth closed.I’m an idiot.
The corner of his mouth tilted with a tiny smile. He cleared his throat, “I tried calling, but you didn’t answer.”
“Sorry, I was doing therapy.”
He glanced at Claire and Delilah, fidgeting with the silver watch on his wrist. “Can we talk? In private, maybe?”
Claire and Delilah moved around awkwardly before they went inside, passing Levi as he came up to me. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t!” Delilah yelled from the porch, giggling like a lunatic.
My eyes fell shut, and I sighed. “Sorry.”
He chuckled, low and raspy. “It’s fine. I’m used to her brand of chaos at this point.” He looked around, almost like he didn’t know what to say. I hated it. I didn’t want this distance between us. “You started therapy?”
“Yeah. With Delilah. I just got done with my first session.”
“How was it?”
“A lot.” My hands curled into fists at my sides, so I didn’t reach out and smooth the furrow between his brows. He’d probably think I was insane. “What did you want to talk about?”
He let out a long breath that sounded a lot like he was full of dread. “I got a notice.”
“A notice? About what?”
The muscles in his jaw tensed, and he looked up at the sky like he was trying to gather his strength. “Jeremy is going after Luke.”
I staggered back as if he’d slapped me, my mind struggling to comprehend. There was no way I heard that correctly. “What?”
Levi’s eyes met mine. They looked haunted, tired. “First, he tried to sue for kidnapping, which the judge shot down since there’s no custody agreement. But now he’s filing for sole custody.” He wrenched his jaw, his voice tight, “Saying you’re an unfit and unstable parent.”
My body swayed before completely shutting down. Dust flew into my eyes as I collapsed right at his feet. The dirt crumbled beneath my hands, but I couldn’t feel it, couldn’t feel anything but the terror squeezing my chest. A body-wracking sob ripped out of me, brutal and harsh, like spitting up glass.
My baby. That monster was coming after my baby.
