Page 51 of Vegas Baby!

“You can’t move to Vegas. How will I ever see you?” Mom frowned.

She hadn’t been worried about that when I’d been planning to move clear across the country. At least Vegas was a cheap flight or a one-day drive from here.

I managed to wrestle out of their grip and slammed the bathroom door shut behind me, locking it before they could push it open. My mom apparently didn’t give a shit how Andrew had treated me and I couldn’t rely on her to get out of this situation safely. I pulled out my phone with shaking fingers, seeing a handful of missed calls from Bryce and Jesse. I tapped the first notification and it called right back to Bryce.

“He’s here,” I whisper-hissed. “Help!”

“Lawson is there? Shit. Okay. Jesse and I felt you through the bond and we’re already on our way. Are you safe?”

I bit down on a whine and pulled open one of the drawers beneath the sink to block the door further. Nathan and I had always used it in lieu of a lock as needed growing up. “I locked myself in the bathroom. Mom invited him.”

“Stay in there. We’re less than five minutes away now. Stay on the call with me.”

“Okay.” Tears slipped over my cheeks. I sat down on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the door like it might burst open at any second.

“Ava, come out,” Andrew demanded.

I put my phone on mute so I didn’t accidentally deafen Bryce when I yelled back, “No! Go away.”

“You can’t seriously think a pack is going to take care ofourbaby. They’re going to want their own blood, not some little bastard you’re bringing with you. They might say they want you right now, but we both know that’s going to change when a baby’s around. You’re smart enough to know they’ll say whatever they need to so you’ll climb into bed with them. And you did that, didn’t you? A few pretty words and you gave them exactly what they were hoping for.”

I hadn’t realized how strong of a worry that was until it flashed hot and cold through my body. Fear sat like a burning ember in my chest.

“They won’t be like that. Theyaren’tlike that.”

“My wife can’t have any more children. Let me take the baby and you can start fresh.”

I wrapped my arms protectively around my bump. “The baby is mine. You can’t have them.”

“Honey, he’s right,” Mom said through the door. “Don’t you remember how every man I tried to date disappeared as soon as they found out about you and Nathan?”

I refused to acknowledge the statement. I had to believe that my pack were better people.

I pressed my palms over my ears so I couldn’t hear anything else they were saying, just trying to breathe until my pack arrived to get me out of here. I would never be able to forgive my mother. I couldn’t trust her with my safety or the safety of my child if she still thought that Andrew was an ideal choice.

They kept knocking, their fists pounding against the door, and my panic spiraled higher and higher. Dizziness overwhelmed me and I had to brace myself against the sink. Luckily the bathroom was small, so the walls were close if I actually fell. They went silent, my nerves raw as the quiet felt oppressively loud after all their fuss.

My phone buzzed and I only noticed because the screen lit up.

Luke:

We’re here

Is the front door unlocked?

I’ll break through a window if I have to

Ava:

I’ll let you in

I listened carefully at the door and didn’t hear anyone directly outside it. I closed the drawer as quietly as I could and rotated the doorknob slowly so they wouldn’t hear the lock click. Peeking out, I saw Mom and Andrew standing in the living room talking. I couldn’t move very quickly, but I took my chance, flinging open the door and hustling to pop open the deadbolt.

Andrew dragged me back. “Don’t run off!”

The front door burst open, my pack forcing their way in.

“Take your hands off her right fucking now.” Luke growled, moving in like a storm, shoving Andrew back and moving me behind him in his next motion. My pack formed a protective wall between me and Andrew, Jesse wrapping me into his arms while I shook, adrenaline still pouring through my system.

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