Page 81 of Knocked Up by my Best Friend's Brothers

“I walked away. I haven’t said a word to anyone, and I won’t. Just leave me in peace.”

His eyes pop out in surprise. He’d laugh, if he weren’t so furiously offended. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“All you had to do was move on with your life.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It can be. Just walk away and leave me alone.”

“Or what?”

“Or else you’ll find out precisely why your buddies at Perry-Sage thought I was too valuable to let me end up like Brett and other employees your organization killed,” I say, though I don’t know where I’m getting all this nerve from. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones finally kicking into gear.

“I’m coming for you, Miss Campbell. And I’ll get you when you least expect it,” he says.

“Is that why you came here today? To reiterate that?”

“To remind you that it’s not over until you beg me to finish you off,” he sneers.

My blood runs cold as I realize he means every damn word. He’s not here to gloat, nor is he here to give me a good scare. No, he’s here to inspire terror, to make sure that when our paths cross again, I will meet a most horrible fate. This is personal for him, which means I need to start digging into his family more.

The tree has more branches than I thought.

“Here,” he says, tossing the box at me. It lands on the floor and slides across until it reaches my feet, startling me. “For your funeral. I want to make sure you look pretty.”

“HEY!” Teagan’s voice roars through the hallway.

Vince sees her and takes a couple of steps back. “Easy there, pretty lady. You don’t want to do something you’ll regret with that thing.”

Teagan slips into the apartment with her back to me, a taser in her shaky hand. “Get the fuck out of here,” she says. “I mean it!”

“Whoa, you girls sure pack a punch, eh?” Vince laughs but he also moves farther away from the door. “Relax. I said my piece.”

“Get out,” Teagan hisses.

He gives me a wink before he disappears from my sight.

It’s not until Teagan closes the door and turns around to check on me that the harsh reality hits, and it hits hard. I break down crying.

“Hey, hey,” Teagan mutters as she sets the taser down and rushes to my side. “It’s okay, Christa, I’m here. It’s okay.”

I feel her arms wrap around me, and I wish it was enough to make me feel better. But the fear and the hopelessness grow thicker and heavier with every breath I take. “He’s trying to torture me before he kills me.”

“Christa, you’re safe. I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

“What would you have done? Tase him?” I reply. “Now I’ve put you in danger, too!”

“I would’ve tased his balls off before he even considered making a move,” Teagan replies. “You are forgetting that I grew up around Hawthorne men. I don’t mess around, not when it comes to my friends.”

“I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”

“Enough, Christa. Like my brothers often say, we really are in this together. Did he do anything to you? Do you feel okay?”

“I think I’m okay,” I tell Teagan. “Just scared and angry.”

“Good. Now get yourself together, woman. You are not alone. When someone messes with you, they mess with the entire Hawthorne family. You should know that by now.”

I nod my head and take a deep breath. She’s right. I do need to get myself together. I have a life to live and a baby to keep safe. I will not live like a victim any longer.

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