Page 47 of Under Their Protection

“Let’s go before Max eats all the food,” he says. Maria laughs and we take the rest of the food outside. Before I step out, Rowan catches me and cups my face. “Don’t overthink it until you get a positive test, but no matter what, you are not your parents, and you never will be. The three of us will raise amazing and kind children and you will heal.” I lean in and kiss Rowan as if no one is watching. He wraps me in a tight hug. He lifts me from the ground and makes me giggle.

“Let’s eat,” I smile.

Rowan sets me down and we go out and sit with the others. I take my first bite and groan.

“Good?” Maria asks with a smile.

“So good,” I laugh.

We all talk and laugh as we eat. What looked like a ton of food ended up being the perfect amount for everyone. By the time we are finished eating, I am stuffed.

We are laughing and joking about how much Max ate when my phone rings. My hair stands on end when I see it is Isaac. “Fuck,” I whisper.

“Who is it?” Rowan asks.

“It’s Isaac,” I mumble and show him my screen.

“Answer it on speaker,” Emma says as she jumps into lawyer mode.

“Hello?” I answer with a sigh.

“Hello, Anika,” Isaac says curtly.

“What do you want?”

“Just making sure you are coming to the hearing,” he says simply.

“What I do is none of y’all’s business,” I say.

“It is if it risks my fiancé getting her kidney,” Isaac says.

“I’m not doing this with you. I am with my family and I don’t have time to entertainyou,” I say.

“Your family? Rowan’s mom is not your family,” Isaac says.

“How the fuck do you know where I am?” I ask as I sit up in my chair and look at Rowan.

“You never were aware of your surroundings,Nika,” he says mockingly.

“Don’t fucking call me that,” I snap.

“You know, someone could kidnap you and you wouldn’t know any difference until it was too late,” he says with an air of violence in his tone.

“Are you threatening me?” I ask as I stand up from the table and go inside. I leave everyone behind as I race through to the front door.

When I step out I see Isaac leaning against Rowan’s truck. I drop my phone and race down to confront him. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yell at him.

“Nice to see you too, sweetie,” Isaac chuckles.

“Go away and stop fucking following me,” I seethe.

“Wewillget our way, Anika,” Isaac says calmly. Something inside of me snaps and all of the anger I’ve been fighting off floods out.

“I hope you both die,” I scream at him and shove him backward. Isaac swiftly catches my wrist with one hand and wraps his hand around my throat before pulling me to be nose to nose with him.

“She will get her kidney no matter if you survive or not. Don’t make us have to do this the hard way,” Isaac growls then shoves me to the ground before turning and getting into Harper’s BMW.I am completely stunned. I knew he’d put his hands on me but threaten to kill me?

Max and Rowan get to me as soon as he drives off and I am completely disconnected from reality.I can hear them talking to me but I’m not processing it. Max scoops me up off the driveway and sits me on the tailgate of the truck.

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