Page 30 of A Seed Of Peril

I was morethan ready to be home and soaking in a warm bath. This belly band only did so much, but I was glad I got in a pleasant walk today.

On our walk, we talked further about Katrina’s birthday and were going to ask her to create a list of what she’d like for gifts. We were also leaving her day up to her. Whether she wanted to go out to eat or have us cook her something special was on her. A big party or family-only affair? Her decision.

I knew of one thing she repeatedly asked for, and that was a cat. Well, specifically, a kitten. That was going to be a hard sell. Dominic wasn’t big on pets, but if he had to choose, he’d choose a dog over a cat.

I was up for the challenge.

A squirrel ran across the pathway past our feet; they were friendlier here in the park. We watched a little girl feeding a group of them before we turned back around on the trail. It was adorable. We couldn’t wait to bring our son out here to feed them and to also feed the ducks in the summer.

“Damn things,” Dominic grumbled, eyeing the squirrel as it climbed a nearby tree.

I laughed. “It’s your shoes.”

“My shoes?” he pondered, confused. His polished black Oxfords clacked against the tar.

“Yeah. They’re so shiny.”

“My .22 says otherwise.”

I whipped my head toward him, eyes widening, amused. “Dominic!”

“Real life lesson in hitting a moving target.”

I laughed louder, shaking my head. “You wouldn’t,” I said, picturing him subjecting those poor squirrels to target practice.

“Yes, yes, I would.” His cell phone rang, and he let go of my hand to phish out his phone from inside his suit jacket, answering the call. Switching his phone to his other hand, he reached again for mine. We intertwined our fingers. “Talk to me, Santiago.”

While Dominic attended to whatever Dino wanted, an eerie feeling swept over me, following me like a dark cloud. It was almost as if… I looked behind me, and my breath caught in my chest. My heart raced. I shook as if I trembled in the cold, only it wasn’t the cold. Down on the grass below stood a tall figure—I presumed a man, by their build and aura—wearing a brown trench coat, hands in the coat pockets. He wore a baseball cap and black sunglasses, keeping his head low.

Was I seeing things?I rubbed my eyes. Nope, he was still there.Was this another coincidence? Was it Wyatt again?No… It didn’t feel like that. This new stranger was taller. This wasn’t Wyatt. Fuck. The stranger took a step forward. Then another. And another as he started to approach us, some pep in his steps. Shit! I hurried to get back in step with Dominic, tugging the sleeve of his coat.

“Hold on,” Dominic told Dino, instantly concerned as he held me close. “Lilith, what is it?”

“Someone’s coming,” was all I managed in my moment of panic, turning around and pointing to the stranger approaching us, but I dropped my arm slowly, wondering where he went. He was gone. I looked everywhere I could see to no avail. The stranger vanished as fast as he appeared. What the hell?

“What?” Dominic asked, confused. “Who’s coming?”

“There… I…” I didn’t understand. “There was someone there,” I spoke, lost in confusion. I looked at Dominic. “There was someone following us. At least, I thought…” I let my words carry in the breeze as I looked behind us once more, wondering if I really was seeing things.Was this some strange thing that came with pregnancy—hallucinations?

“Let me call you back.” Dominic then put his hand on my shoulder. “Lilith, are you alright?”

I looked at my feet and the path and the grass, then at Dominic, feeling oddly emotional, like I wanted to cry.

“He wore a trench coat. I swear… I thought he was going to chase us.”

Dominic took me under his arm, peering past me at the path, saying, “If there was anyone trying to chase us, I’m sure Sonny and Lucas took care of it. I’ll ask them, okay?” He looked down at me.

Yeah, maybe that was what happened. Maybe Sonny and Lucas dealt with the stranger. They were trained to be silent and swift in a situation like this. Not to alert anyone. Not to create a scene. I relaxed, gathering my bearings and easing my breathing, leaning against Dominic and letting him help lead me to the SUV. Yeah… No. I swore on my life that I saw that man in the trench coat coming at us. Dominic made too much sense; it wasn’t a hallucination.

I buckled my seatbelt the moment I got into the SUV, anxious to leave the park and be home where I knew I was safe. As Dominic walked around to the driver’s side, he ended another call, putting his phone in his jacket. As soon as he entered the SUV, he started the engine and lowered his window, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in his hand. He lit a cigarette, letting the smoke waft out the window. He refused to smoke anywhere near me if he could avoid it or made sure the smoke was away from me like it was now.

Watching the passing traffic, I had gotten the feeling Dominic was holding back somehow. It was in the air. Dominic lightly danced his fingers on the steering wheel.

“I thought you’d like to know that Mr. Wyatt James won’t be a threat to the state any longer.”

To say my curiosity was piqued was an understatement.

“Oh?” I questioned. “Was that why Dino called?”

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