“Okay,” they both giggle while play–fighting over Aizen’s hoodie..
I rush out to find the coast is clear. I run to my phone and unlock it.
“Hey,” I almost jump out of my skin when she appears in the kitchen with her phone in hand. “I have to run down to get some packages. You okay?”
“Yeah, the kids want to listen to the floor is lava in the bath. I forgot my phone,” I hold it
- up.
“I love that song,” she says and walks toward the exit. I get back to the bathroom and close the door gently.
“What do I do?” I ask out loud.
“Mommy, do we take our clothes off again?” Aizen laughs. “Issa game?”
“What? No. Keep your clothes on,”
“Aww,” they complain.
“I have to call him,” I whisper.
“Who?” Aizen asks.
“Okay, shh,” I put my index finger to my lips. They both do it back at me. I bring up the contact and take a deep breath. “Fuck it,”
“Mommy,” they both giggle. I put my finger up to my lips again and I lower myself to the floor. They both sit with me as the phone rings.
“Did you forget something?” Knightly answers.
“Hi, um,”
“You sound out of breath, are you okay?”
“Something happened,”
“Where are you?”
“I’m home, but listen,”
“Talk,” it sounds like he’s moving around.
“It’s my nanny. I told her about you and I just heard her on the phone. She was talking
to her brother and they mentioned someone. Alpha Blake? Then she invited them here,”
“I’m on my way,” he says.
“Knight, what is going on?”
“Alpha Blake is my father. My fan Successfully unlocked!
“Enemies?” I offer when he doesn’t say anything.
“Sort to speak,” he confirms.
Juses.
13
“Dammit, Knight. This is what I didn’t want to happen. One day. One fucking day.”
“Mommy, two,” Ayrie giggles.
“I know, Angel. I know. I’ll explain everything when we get you somewhere safe,”
“I can send you my location,”
“I know where you live. Sit tight. Try to stay calm. You don’t want them to know you know. I’ll stay on the line with you,”
“Okay,”
I turn the water off and walk out into the kid’s room. I grab their backpacks and start putting some things in them. Ayrie grabs a few things and hands them to me. I stuff them in not caring if they’re essential. I make sure Chocolate Sprinkles is packed.
“Come sit over here, guys,” I tap the bed. They both race to where I tap.
“This game is fun, Mommy,” Aizen laughs. “What next?”
I finish putting stuff in their backpacks and go back to them.
“Okay, we are going out,”
“Yay,” they both cheer.
–
“We’re going to meet a friend of Mommy’s. His name is Knightly. You guys remember my friend from the airport, right?”
“The man from the TV. He sings Pretty Phoebe,” Ayrie kicks her little legs out excitedly.
“That’s right,” I laugh nervously. “He’s my friend and he’s coming to take us to meet his Mommy,
“So, cool,” she bounces up and down.
“Who is he?” Aizen asks. “Is he our D.A.D.?”
“Oh, so now you can spell, huh?” I groan.
“That was an easy one, Mommy.” Ayrie giggles and holds her hand up with all her little fingers spread out. “We’re five now,”
“Yes, he is your D.A.D.,”
“Weird,” she laughs.
“Yeah,” I nod. “You have no idea,”
There’s a tap on the door and my heart all but jumps out of my chest.
“Stay calm,” I hear a voice come out of the phone. It’s not Knightly’s. “Breathe. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening, Phoebe. Breathe,”
I take a couple of deep breaths and stand up. I tuck the phone into the pocket of my hoodie and slowly walk to the door. I open it to find Kendra standing there.
“You’re not going to believe this. My brother is here. He was in the neighborhood,” she
13
says. “We were literally just talking about him. Come say hi,”
“Yeah,” I nod. “Let me put the kids down,”
“Sure,” she says and walks away. I shut the door as gently as I can. The phone is pressed against my ear in the next instant.
“Oh, my god,” I choke out.
“I’m almost there, Angel. Do not go out there,” Knightly all but shouts.
“Okay,” I nod and look back at the twins. Ayrie waves me at me with a big smile on her face. My heart is pounding in my chest as I go over to them. “Come over here, guys,” “No bathtime?” Aizen asks as I push some of their clothes apart in the closet.
“I thought we were going to go with D.A.D.?” Ayrie groans.
“We are. He’s almost here, but I need you to wait here for us. Yes? Do you promise to stay here? It’s very important, Aizen. You promise to keep Ayrie here for me?
“Okay,” he nods catching on to the seriousness of the situation. He pulls Ayrie close and hands her a doll. “I promise,”
“Do not come out of here until I come get you. Only me. Not Kenny. Got it?”
“Okay, they both agree. I press the light behind them arid settle them in. I put their clothes back in place and shut the closet.
“Do not go out there, Phoebe,” Knightly shouts.
“I have to or they’ll know something is wrong,” I whisper.
They’ll know,” the second voice says. “They can smell her fear,”
“What does that mean?” I squeak.
“Fuck” Knightly shouts and it sounds like he’s hitting something.
“Take a couple of deep breaths, Phoebe,” the second voice says. “Do you have anything to protect yourself with?”
“I’m in the kids‘ room. All that’s in here is clothes and I try to stay calm.
“Anywhere else in the house?”
“I have a hidden gun in my closet,”
“Is it close by?”
“Across the way.”
“Will you pass them in getting to it?”
“No,”
“Go get it,”
“Okay,” I nod.
Toys,
Slowly, I open the door and slip out of the room. I shut the door and quickly cross into
my room without shutting the door behind me so I can make sure no one goes toward their room. I get to the safe and open it as fast as I can. I lean back to make sure the door hasn’t moved. I open the box with the 22.
“I have it,” I whisper.
“Good girl,” the man says. “Do you know how to use it?”
“Yes,”
“Perfect. I want you to keep it on you. Only use it if you think it’s completely necessary. We are right here. You need to buy us about ten minutes, sweetheart. Think you can manage that?”
“Yes,” I nod.
Okay, okay. Take a couple of deep breaths and go out there,”
1 do as he asks and stand up. I’ve met Ruin a couple of times. Once when I picked up Kendra from the airport the first time she went to see her parents after starting to work with me. The second time was when we all went to a show in New York. He was
always so clean and proper. A gentleman.
Kendra always hinted at us getting together. A little you guys look so cute together here and a–my brother thinks you’re very pretty there. Sure, I think he’s very handsome, but I was never really attracted to him. And Ayrie can’t stand being near him. I tuck my gun into my sweater and cover it with my phone so the outline isn’t noticeable.
“Hey Kendra greets me.
“Hey,” I say.
“Look who dropped in,” she steps away to reveal her brother and two other men.
“Ruin,” I smile. “Who are these two?”
“This is Jason and Vernon. They’re friends,” he says. “Wow, you cut your hair,”
“Yeah,” I reach for the ends of it. “It feels more practical,”
“It looks amazing,” he compliments. “Come have a seat with us,” it doesn’t sound like I
have a choice. “We need to talk, Princess,”
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