The next morning I’m eating breakfast with the family when Gabriel asks where Zander is.

“I’m not sure. He never came back home.”

They all look at me but don’t ask anything else. I go to work and notice that Bobby is staying close to me, so I finally ask why. He says that Zander called him and asked him to stay close to me until he returns. I don’t bother to ask where he is even though I want to.

The next week passes, and still no Zander. My mom starts questioning me about where he is. I tell them all honestly, “I don’t know.” Again, I leave for work. I tell Liam not to worry about coming in, that I want to put some more work in tonight.

Even though Liam and I wound up hiring another night manager in case we both needed the night off, I still want to work, it’s the only thing that takes my mind off Zander.

Around eleven at night Vin knocks on my door. I smile and tell him to come in. I love Vin, he is no-nonsense, he’s a man of few words and I for one appreciate that.

Curious, I ask, “What are you doing here?”

He walks in and sits down. “I thought I would stop by and maybe fill you in on where your husband has been.”

“I’m not sure I care.”

“Don’t you?”

“All right, Vin, I’ll play along. Where is my husband?”

“He has been sleeping at his home, but he has been spending his time at Theo’s club.”

“Okay, well thank you for letting me know. I’m sure Catherine will be very interested.”

“And you’re not?”

“Thank you, Vin, but Zander is a grown man. He knows where to find me if he wants or needs me.”

Vin laughs. “You are one hard ass woman. I’m glad he found you. He needs someone like you in his life. But like you said, he is a grown ass man. A man that I think might be at his limit.”

I watch as Vin stands and walks out my office.

“Damn him!” I throw my calendar across the room. “Shit!”

I bend to pick up my calendar and notice when I flip the pages to tomorrow that I have an ultrasound scheduled in the morning. Tomorrow marks the end of the first trimester of my pregnancy. I toss the calendar on my desk and sit back down. Leaning back, I wonder if he remembers; shit, I guess I’ll go find him and tell him. It’s an excuse to see him, I’m quite aware it is, but I can’t stop myself from leaving the casino.

Bobby takes me to the club and I enter looking for Zander. I spot him with a girl on his lap, typical. I walk up and sit down, crossing my legs. “Hello, husband.” The girl in his lap doesn’t even flinch when I call him my husband, she continues to grind him. Zander looks up and says, “Well, hello to you to, wife. How are you?”

“I’m well, I see you are too.”

“You know, living life.”

“Your mother and family have been wondering where you are.”

He laughs. “Red, I guarantee you they know exactly where I have been. Have you wondered?”

“Do you think we can get rid of the girl for a minute, so we can talk?”

The bitch looks at me and has the nerve to say, “The way I see it, honey, is if he were happy at home then he wouldn’t be here with me.”

Oh, she has no idea who she’s fucking with. I sit up to show her who I am. “Has he touched you? I bet you money that my husband has done nothing to you but let you grind on his dick. You know how I know, honey? Because that man knows what’s at home for him and he knows that if he touched you, I would have a man in my bed so fast it would make his head spin.”

Zander pushes her off his lap. “Don’t you mean our bed?”

“Silly me, of course, darling.” I look back at the girl and say, “I will fuck another man in our bed so fast his head will spin.”

I look back at Zander. “Was that better?”

He slaps the girl’s ass and tells her to go. She tries to argue until he looks at her, she vanishes without another word.

“Why are you here, Red?”

“I came to remind you that I have an ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow. I’m twelve weeks now. If you’re interested, it’s at ten in the morning.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Are you coming home?”

“Do you care?”

“I care to know what to tell your mother.”

He nods his head and tells me, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I stand and leave the club. I’ll be damned if he is going to make me look like an idiot. I will not ask him to come back home.