Kayla’s phone rang before she’d driven a mile. It was Bailey. Kayla answered using the bluetooth hands-free device that Alexei had installed for her.
“Hey, Bailey,” she said brightly. “What’s up?”
“It’s after seven. I was wondering if everything’s okay.”
Kayla’s heart thumped. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You don’t usually take Ana out this late.”
“No, I don’t.” She gripped the steering wheel. “I’m going over to Zach’s place. I won’t be back tonight.”
“Okay.” Bailey sighed. “We could have kept Ana for you, honey.”
“It’s okay. Zach wants to spend time with both of us. That’s a good thing.”
“Yes. Of course.”
Kayla stared at Zach’s taillights. “You’re worried,” she said. It wasn’t a question.
“I don’t want you getting hurt. That’s all. I like Zach, I really do. It’s just that y’all haven’t been together, and now you suddenly are. It’s a little surprising.”
“I know. But trust me when I say there’s a lot more going on than you realize.” That was certainly true. “Zach and I are together, Bale. He’s a good man, and I love him.”
There. She’d said it. Her heart hammered and little beads of sweat popped up on her skin. She’d never spoken those words about Zach before, but they felt like spilling the deepest secret of her heart. Did she love him? Or did she just lust after him?
“Wow. Okay. I had no idea.”
Guilt pricked her. “I know.”
“Just be careful, Kay-Kay.”
“I’m doing my best. But when you fell for Alexei, were you careful? Or did he make you feel so crazy good inside, so safe, that you just leapt and hoped he’d catch you?”
Bailey didn’t say anything at first. Then she sighed. “Definitely the second thing. I jumped off a cliff without a parachute and prayed there was a cushioned landing somewhere below me.”
Kayla laughed. “And there was. Alexei caught you and he didn’t let go.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it was that simple, but yeah, nobody splatted on the ground in the end. It worked out.”
“So let me see if this works out for me. If it doesn’t, then I’ll have learned yet another lesson on the reliability of men.”
“Nothing I can say to that, honey—except I pray he doesn’t disappoint you.”
“I know. I pray for the same thing—and that I don’t disappoint him, because it’s a two-way street. But look on the bright side, Bale—he’s not a criminal and he won’t keep me prisoner.”
“Nope, that’s true. You’ve chosen a good man.”
“I think so.”
“Call me if you need anything. I love you, Kay-Kay.”
“I love you too, big sis. Now stop worrying about everything and go kiss your man.”
Kayla let out a breath when the call ended. That had certainly gone better than it could have. Kayla knew that Bailey’s concern came from a place of love, so she couldn’t be mad at her sister for speaking her mind. Bailey always and forever had Kayla’s best interests at heart. Same as Kayla did for her.
“Za!” Ana exclaimed from the backseat, and Kayla laughed in spite of herself.
“That’s right, sweetie. Pizza!” It wasn’t quite Ana’s first word, but it wouldn’t surprise Kayla if that’s what it ended up being. She’d been teaching Ana to say mama, but so far her baby hadn’t done it. She’d said mmmmmmm and aaaaaaa, but she’d yet to put it all together.
Fifteen minutes later, Kayla parked beneath the carport beside Zach’s Camaro and let out the breath it felt like she’d been holding all the way over. When Zach had asked her to spend the night, she’d frozen for a second. At first she’d thought he wanted the kind of night they’d had before. Her body had started to react to that idea, but he’d quickly squashed it with his assertion that wasn’t what he’d meant. Confusion had gone a little haywire inside her until her brain caught up.
He’d made so much sense though, and she’d had to admit that she’d feel safer in his house with him than she would in the in-law apartment. Not because Alexei couldn’t protect her, but he didn’t know he had to. Or not more than he usually did, anyway.
“I could just tell Bale and Alexei, couldn’t I, pumpkin?” she asked Ana in the rearview.
Ana kicked her legs and nodded her head in agreement.
“I could, but they’re so happy right now. And they wouldn’t be if I told them, would they? Auntie Bailey’s schooling would suffer because she’d want to stay home with us. Then she’d want to postpone the wedding. She and Uncle Alexei wouldn’t spend as much time together because they’d be worried about us—and what if Uncle Alexei decided the only way to secure your safety was to marry me himself? I can’t do that to them. Much better to marry Zach. Not to mention, Mommy really, really likes Zach, even if she can’t say that aloud to him yet. Zach makes Mommy’s wires sizzle and melt, baby girl.”
Big time.
“Za!”
Zach’s door opened and he got out of his car, a big, competent mountain of a man who made her tingle inside even when he wasn’t touching her. Kayla shivered.
It was dark out now, but the porch lights were on. Across the street, Kayla could see Chloe’s car in her drive and Ryan’s truck parked beside it. Chloe had been in danger not that long ago, and Ryan had taken care of her. He’d stopped her ex before he could hurt Chloe any further.
If Kayla were honest with herself, that’s where she’d first gotten the idea. Sitting at Chloe’s house on Saturday, eating fried chicken and watching the SEALs and their ladies, she’d been seized with a powerful envy. More than that, she’d realized that she could get that kind of protection for her baby.
Even if she couldn’t get the love, she could secure Ana’s safety and well-being, and get them both a lethal and effective protector who would stop James—or whoever was threatening her—from finding them and hurting them ever again. That was worth more than love
