I thumbed over the side of Mia’s hand as I held it inside mine and walked through one of the local shopping centers. We both carried bags in our other hands from the first few stores we’d entered. Funny thing about it was most of the items were for Toni.

Mia was already spoiling her as much as I did. We both wanted her to have an enjoyable Christmas. If it took her mind off her father and the abuse she’d received at his hand, we’d spare no cost.

Some of the other items were gifts for other friends and family. Though we might not see them on Christmas, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t get a gift. It gave us something to do while we were staying at the cabin. I didn’t want Mia to get bored from being cooped up.

It was our first Christmas together and the last one we’d have alone for a long time. I wanted it to be extraordinary.

Of course, I had devised a plan that I hoped I could pull off. If things worked out, I’d give Mia a Christmas she would never forget. She had no idea of what I’d set in motion while she was napping yesterday.

As Mia’s gait slowed, she paused in front of another store, one that sold children’s clothing. She glanced at me with a huge smile on her face and chuckled. “One more gift for Toni. Then we can leave. I know you must be bored.”

“Not at all.” I squeezed her hand gently. “I’m getting time with you. That’s never boring.”

“You’re too sweet sometimes.” As she pushed up on her toes, she gave me a tender kiss. It made my pulse quicken, especially when she eased away and said, “I can think of better ways you can spend time with me.”

My body heated when she winked at me. God, she drove me crazy with want. It didn’t matter where we were. All it took was one look. I was at her disposal beyond that point.

Following her into the store, I stayed at her side as she searched through the different racks, commenting on how cute different shirts, dresses, and outfits were. I nodded, but the clothing was the last thing on my mind. I was in awe of her. It was seeing her in action, thinking about others, doing what she could to help people, loving people she just met because she had such a huge heart.

She would be a wonderful mother. I never doubted it. I just felt lucky to be a part of her life. Mia was more than a sexy woman who drove me insane with want and need. She inspired me to be a better person. In truth, she was more than my fiancée and the mother of my child. She was my heart, my passion, my best friend. Mia Brooks was my everything.

“I think I like this one best.”

Glancing at the ice-blue dress she picked out, I nodded my head as I thought about how cute my little cousin would look when she wore it. “Toni will love it.”

“Good. Let me pay for this, and then we can get out of here.” Mia winked then walked into the line for the cashier.

As I waited for her, I checked my phone to see if I’d missed any other texts. Mia agreed to call Andi later to see how things were going back at Music Haven. She hadn’t spoken to her in a few days and it was time for her to check in on the business. Besides, we wanted updates on what was happening with Izzy.

Scrolling through my messages, I didn’t see anything new, but before I could exit the app and tuck my phone back into my pocket, I noticed a particular text. It was from an unknown caller, the one who warned me that I’d been lied to about Izzy’s pregnancy and miscarriage.

I wish I knew who had sent the text. If the person had that type of information on my ex-girlfriend, who knew what other dirty secrets they knew. Maybe they would have additional info that would get Izzy out of our lives for good.

“Are you ready?”

I glanced at Mia and took the bag from her hand. “I am if you are.”

“Let’s get out of here. My feet hurt.”

Offering her my arm, she accepted it as we made our way out of the store. We were a few feet from the entrance when Mia gasped and grabbed her belly.

“Are you okay?” My heart pounded with worry, even after she nodded. “Mia, what’s wrong?”

Waving off my question, she rubbed the part of her belly she held and looked at me. “I’m okay. Our child just did a somersault.”

Her laughter eased my fears. I placed my hand beside hers, hoping to feel the magic she’d just experienced. As I waited to feel any movement from our child, I stared at her. Anticipation played in her eyes. She was as excited as I was.

After a few seconds of waiting, I moved my hand lower, doing my best to be patient. It wasn’t easy. Just seeing the way Mia’s face lit up when she told me the baby was moving made it difficult to wait. The longer we stood there, the less patient I became.

“She stopped, didn’t she?”

Mia nodded. She placed her hand atop mine and patted it. “Don’t worry. She’ll do it again soon. We still have several months before she arrives. You’ll get to feel her, Daddy.”

“Her?” I laughed. “So you think it’s a girl too?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I guess after you confessed to thinking it’s a girl, it’s stuck in my mind.”

“We can find out if you want. There are blood tests that can confirm the baby’s sex.”

She nodded, but her eyes lowered to her stomach. “I know, and I’ve considered it, but I kind of want it to be a surprise.”

“I understand. If you don’t want to—”

A shrill sound pierced my ears as I covered them and glanced around the shopping center. It wasn’t until I saw a group of girls that I realized the sound came from one of them. When the young woman stopped, everyone within five-hundred feet stared at her, not that she cared. Her eyes fixed on me as she pointed in my direction.

“That’s Ayden McAllister from Breaking Silence!”

She said it just loud enough that the crowd of people who were staring at her had switched their focus onto Mia and me. I pulled her closer, unsure what to expect. I’d never had an encounter with a fan.

Just as a few of the other girls squealed and motioned for the rest of the group to follow, I realized they weren’t the only people heading our way. Everywhere I looked someone was staring, pointing, or showing some form of enthusiasm. When I realized a hoard of people were moving toward us, I tugged Mia’s arm.

“We should probably get out of here.”

“I agree. I would encourage you to stay if it were just a few people, but this could take a while, and we don’t have any security in place.”

Unable to stop myself from snorting, I shook my head. “I’m not worried about me. The baby’s safety, as well as yours, is my only concern.”

Searching for an escape route, I didn’t find anyplace Mia and I could walk or even run to get away from the mob of people coming our way. It figures something like this would happen during one of the busiest times of the year.

With no other way to get out of the mall, I led Mia into the store we’d left a few minutes ago. Most of them had a back door where they received shipments. We could quickly get away if the manager on duty cooperated.

We were halfway through the store when one of the sales associates who greeted customers smiled at us. “Can I help you find something in our store today?”

“Yeah, a door.” I peered behind us, noting that the group of girls was getting closer. The sales associate appeared confused until I pointed to them. “You’re about to have a mob of women enter your store, and it isn’t to shop. It’s to meet me.”

“So it really is you?” she grinned.

This time, it was my turn to feel confused. “Beg your pardon?”

“I thought it was you when I saw you earlier, but I didn’t want to say anything. I know you must get asked for autographs all the time.”

My face grew hot. I knew our music was getting popular and selling well. What I failed to realize is that Breaking Silence had fans. Why would I think anything different? People were buying our album, people like this young woman standing in front of me.

“You’re Ayden McAllister, right?” As soon as I nodded, she motioned for Mia and me to follow her. “I can get you out of here through the shipping door.”

“Perfect. Thank you so much.”

We got a strange look from the cashiers running the registers, but no one said anything as we followed the associate into the back of the store. As we passed several unopened boxes and racks of empty hangers, I checked once more to make sure no one had followed us. The coast was clear, and within a few more steps, we were at the door.

“If you guys hang a right and pass a couple of doors, you’ll see an exit sign not too far away. That will take you outside.”

“Thank you for your help. You don’t know how much it means to us.”

“No problem. I’m happy to help out.”

I opened the door for Mia but closed it back. “What is your name anyway?”

“Lori Howard.”

“Got a pen and paper? The least I can do is give you an autograph for helping us escape.”

She waved off my comment. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not why I helped you. Everyone deserves privacy.”

“I’d still like to sign something for you.”

A loud commotion near the registers drew her attention to the door we’d entered. She grimaced toward it and then me. “Maybe another time. You guys better go.”

Mia reached into her purse and pulled out what looked like a business card. “At least take this.” She slipped the card into Lori’s hand then walked out the door.

“What is this?” Lori fumbled with the card as she read it.

“It’s free entrance for you and a friend to any concert at Music Haven.”

“Seriously?” The young woman’s eyes lit up when Mia nodded. “Thank you!”

“No, thank you for helping us.” Mia waved to her. “Take care, Lori.”

The sales associate waved to us once more as Mia and I left to find the door to the outside. It didn’t take us long to locate it or re-enter the cold elements. Luckily, we weren’t far from where we parked when we first arrived. I spotted the SUV in the distance.

Mia and I made our way through the parking lot with our arms linked together. Once we reached the vehicle, I helped her inside, shut the door, and hurried to the other side. I wouldn’t feel completely safe until we were away from the mall.

As soon as I shut my door and started the engine, I noticed Mia looking around the parking lot as if she were searching for something. “Is everything okay? Did we forget something?”

Shaking her head, she pressed her lips together and faced me. “It’s probably just my imagination or maybe the fact that we just avoided a mob of people.”

“What do you mean?”

She rubbed her hands together, avoiding my gaze as she did. “I don’t know, but I feel like someone is following us.”

Folding my hand over hers, I squeezed gently. “I’d say it’s because of what we just avoided. Relax. You’re safe.”

“You’re right.” She smiled at me and leaned back against her seat. “I’m tired. Let’s head back to the cabin.”

“With pleasure.”

Backing out of the parking space, I put the SUV in drive and made my way toward the exit. I hoped my words would calm Mia’s mind. I didn’t want her to worry, but I hadn’t been completely honest with her. Whatever it was she sensed while we were sitting in the parking lot, I’d sensed the same. As much as I wanted to blame it on my fears of what we might have encountered inside the mall, I couldn’t. Everything in me said Mia was right. We were being followed.

The only questioned that remained was by whom?

“Looks like you got some packages.” Ayden’s voice filtered through my thoughts as I glanced at the cabin door. A couple of boxes were leaning against the screen, and the other was sitting in front of them.

“Oh, good. That means your Christmas presents arrived.” I beamed at him as one of his brows shot up.

“When did you order my present?”

Winking at him, I chuckled, “Before we left Tennessee.”

As he slipped the key out of the ignition and into his pocket, he shook his head at me. “You’re slick. I’ll give you that much. Okay, I’ll get the boxes if you grab the door?”

“Deal.” I collected my purse as Ayden left the vehicle. By the time I was ready to get out, he had opened the door for me. We walked up the steps and onto the deck while I fished my keys out of my purse and cracked the screen door.

Allowing the front door to swing open, I held the screen as Ayden carried in the bigger box first and the smaller ones next. Once I joined him in the den, he set the smaller packages atop the large one.

“Where do you want these?”

“Will you put them by the dining room table? I can wrap them easier there.”

Ayden bent to pick up the packages again, but only grabbed one instead. His brow dipped as he frowned at the large manila envelope. “That’s weird.”

“What is?”

He found me as he held up the package. “This has my name on it. I thought maybe it was the gift I ordered you. Bentley said he’d get the address from Andi and mail it to me this week, but this isn’t from him.”

“Who’s it from?”

“I’m not sure. There’s no return address.”

“Then how do you know it’s not from Bentley?” Maybe the stress of the day was making him paranoid. It didn’t help matters by telling him that I thought we were being followed.

Staring at the package, he scratched the side of his head and walked toward me. “Because it was mailed from Flagstaff.”

When he reached me, he pointed to the postage stamp. After confirming what he said, I grew just as confused as I assumed he was. No one knew we were in town except for Andi, Bentley, my father, and Ayden’s family. None of those people would expose our location. They knew what was at risk.

“I’m starting to freak out, Ayden. No one but close friends and family know we’re here. Who in this town would mail you a package?”

“I don’t know, but I think it’s time we called Andi and your father to see how things are going back home. Although I don’t think Izzy is behind this, I’d rather be safe than sorry. We can find out if anyone was asking about me. Maybe Andi agreed to mail the package for this person.”

“Do you want to see what’s inside first?” I hated to admit it, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. Part of me was afraid to see what was inside the envelope. Another part needed answers. Maybe whatever was in the package would give us the information we wanted to know.

Paper ripped as Ayden tore open the envelope. When he glanced inside, his head cocked to the side. “What the hell?”

Reaching his hand into the envelope, he pulled out something so small it fit in his palm. He set the envelope down and opened his hand to show me what was inside.

“Is that a memory stick?”

“Yeah. Who in the world would send me something like this?”

“I’m not sure, but I have my laptop in the kitchen. I can get it real quick. When Ayden nodded, I made a quick trip into the kitchen, unplugging my computer’s power cord, then grabbing it from the island.

Ayden was sitting on the sofa when I came back to the den. I eased onto the cushion beside him and logged into my computer. Once I was signed in, I placed it on his lap.

“The USB drive is on this side.” I pointed to the port closest to me as Ayden slid it into the opening.

After a few clicks, he pulled up a single file. It was titled Confessions. When I sensed his eyes on me, I rubbed his shoulder. “It’s okay. Whatever this is, we can handle it.”

Selecting the file, the computer processed the data before pulling two more records. One was a text document. The other appeared to be a voice memo.

“Which one do I chose?”

“Start with the text document and see what it says.”

He did as I asked, clicking on the file. After a few seconds, another screen popped up with what appeared to be a note. We both leaned closer to the screen, reading the text on display.

You’ve been a pawn in her game for a long time. I once was too. Now it’s time for the truth. The other file is a recording I made. There’s more where this came from.

Closing the document, Ayden found the recording and clicked the file. In a few seconds, a media player opened. Then a familiar voice resonated from the speakers. It was Izzy. I knew without a doubt it was my sister.

Before you give me an answer, hear what I have to say. You know how much I despise my sister. Every day my mother rots in jail. I want to make sure Mia suffers like my mom is. She doesn’t deserve the things she has. They should be mine.

Hearing my sister express how much she hated me and why didn’t come as a surprise. I knew how much she resented me. Still, I didn’t understand why we were listening to a recording of her admitting something I’d known for years.

After a deep sigh, Izzy’s voice returned.

Ayden McAllister is my ex-boyfriend. Even though I don’t really want him back, I know how much my sister wants him. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen, and I’m going to need your help.”

Ayden’s eyes met mine and widened in disbelief. It was the first time we’d heard Izzy confess to her lack of interest in Ayden. She may have been lying to whoever was a part of this recording, but I had a feeling it was the truth.

Don’t get me wrong. I’d fuck Ayden a few times before I dumped him again. But I won’t have to do that if I can pull this off. You see, my presence is already causing an issue with my sister and my ex. I’m ready to drive a stake into Mia’s heart. You’ll have a part to play in this too, and what I need from you will have to happen first. I’m sorry if I’m confusing you, but I need you on board. You see, I plan to seduce Ayden and get him to knock me up. If for some reason he fails, I need you to play back up. I don’t plan to keep the baby. I just want to break them up for good. This will kill Mia. She’s so in love with Ayden, she’ll suffer ten times worse than when she and Darius split. Okay, that’s everything. You know what you get in return. Do we have a deal?

Even though there was no love lost between Izzy and me, it still hurt to hear her plotting against me. After all these years, she was still bitter over her mother going to jail. It didn’t matter that her mother caused an accident that took my mother’s life. If Izzy had had her way, I would have been in the car too. Then she and her mother could have made the moves on my father.

Bitches.

The time on the voice recording ended before anyone else responded to Izzy’s question. When Ayden glanced at me, I saw the anger in his eyes. We now had confirmation that she planned this all along. What we didn’t know is if she’d successfully seduced Ayden while he slept and gotten pregnant or if this mysterious man was the real father of the child my sister lost.

This is why the note said there was more. Apparently, this person had other dirt on Izzy. I worried that this might be some type of setup to extort money from Ayden or me, but so far the person hadn’t asked for a dime. Maybe they really wanted Ayden to know the truth and nothing more. Either way, suspicion consumed me. None of this explained how the person knew where to send the package or the fact they were possibly in the area. If they were, it’s possible I hadn’t been wrong earlier. Maybe someone was indeed following us.

“You’re trembling.” Ayden wrapped his arms around me and held me close. “What’s wrong?”

“We came here to be safe. What if the person knows we’re here? For all we know, it’s some deranged lunatic who wants to kill us. I’m afraid.”

“Don’t be. We’re safe here.” He stroked my back as he kissed my head. “There are cameras everywhere. You have a safe full of guns, and I’m no idiot when it comes to shooting one. No one is going to hurt you, Mia. I promise you that we’re safe.”

Clasping my hand in his, Ayden led me to the sofa and lowered himself onto one of the cushions. I joined him a second later. He kicked off his shoes and stretched his legs on either side of me. Then he pulled me back to his chest.

The weight of his arms around my waist gave me a sense of security. I found my phone lying inside my purse just under the coffee table. Guess it was time to make my weekly video call with Andi. Tonight would be about more than business. Hopefully, she would have an answer for us on who had sent the package.

The line rang twice before her face appeared on my screen. We smiled at each other and waved. It was good to see her. I missed her like crazy.

“Hey, girl. How are you?” Andi’s voice was as chipper as ever.

“We’re doing okay. How are things there?”

Andi took her phone and scanned the arena from the bar. It looked like every other day. Nothing had changed, and everything appeared to be running smoothly.

Bentley came into view a second later. I moved my head enough that Ayden could wave to him. Andi didn’t give them long before she flipped the phone around to face her. Then she leaned back against Bentley so they mirrored Ayden and me.

“You’ll be happy to hear there are no issues this week. Your dad is back in the swing of things, and we’re buzzing around this place like you and I do. We’ve had a great time catching up.”

“Good to hear. Is Dad around?”

Andi turned to search for him. After a moment, she waved at someone. “Come here, Shane.”

It wasn’t long before my dad’s face was squeezed in next to Andi’s and Bentley’s. “Hello, princess. How are things going?”

“Physically, I’m fine. I haven’t had any issues with my pregnancy, and I feel good.”

“And emotionally?” My father narrowed his gaze as though he were challenging me to tell the truth.

“Up until today, I’ve been great.” I peered at Ayden as he rubbed my shoulder and nodded. “We were out shopping today when I had this inkling that someone was following us. I shrugged it off to an incident we had at the mall.”

“What incident?” Both Andi and my father asked the question at the same time. They even had the same frown on their face.

“Some fans recognized Ayden and it drew attention to us from everyone in the vicinity. Let’s just say, Breaking Silence has a large fan base, and we were almost up close and personal with quite a few of them.”

“Not a wise choice without security, so I understand your panic.” My dad rubbed his chin. “So do you think one of these girls followed you to the cabin?”

“No,” Ayden chimed in. “I received a package today. It wasn’t from my family or anyone else I know.”

My dad glanced at Bentley and Andi. All three were frowning as if they hadn’t understood anything Ayden said. It was my father who finally spoke again. “What was it?”

“A voice recording of Izzy confessing to someone that she planned to seduce me and get pregnant just to destroy her sister. There’s more, but that’s the gist of it.”

Andi and Bentley shook their heads as my dad pinched the bridge of his nose. None had anything to say. The news weighed on them much like it did Ayden and me. It was a truth that needed to be known. I wasn’t sure if the recording could be admitted as evidence in court. What I needed was this mysterious person to step forward and help me get justice.

“That is weird, guys.” Andi was the first to speak. Concern showed on her face as she stared at us. “No one has given me anything to mail to you except Bentley, and that was this morning.”

“We know.” I released the breath I’d been holding. “The package was sent from someplace here in Flagstaff, according to the postage. I just don’t understand how someone could know we’re here.”

It was more of a general statement than a question, but my dad looked worried. “You have the code to the safe if you need to get inside it. I wish I could tell you to come home, but now isn’t the best time.”

His words made my chest tighten. “Why? What’s going on, Dad?”

My father scanned the bar before he answered me. “Your sister is seeing a psychiatrist that was highly recommended to me. His name is Dr. Journey, and he has Izzy on medications.”

“Bout time.”

I heard Ayden mumble the words but didn’t acknowledge them. “How is she?”

Dad shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Dr. Journey thinks there’s a slight improvement, but he said it’s too soon to tell. He’s not sure what her condition is yet, which is one of the reasons he’s trying her on this medication.”

“And what do you think?” As I waited for an answer, Ayden clasped my hand and held it. He was just as anxious as I was to hear my dad’s thoughts.

“She appears to be better, but she’s spending a lot of time alone. She told me she was soul-searching.”

“Or plotting something.” I wasn’t as successful at mumbling my thoughts as Ayden. My dad grimaced at my words.

“I’m trying to remain positive, but you’re right. Izzy could be plotting something. Dr. Journey said she’s in a major depressive state.”

“Will you call me if anything changes?”

“Of course I will,” Dad assured me. “And you guys call me if there are any problems there. Don’t forget to set the security system at night.”

“We won’t.”

“Okay, princess. We have to go. Andi and I are meeting with a couple of our scouts in a few minutes to discuss some of the bands they’ve found.”

“We’ll talk to you guys next week. Bye.”

Everyone said goodbye in unison, then the phone went back to my home screen. I tossed my phone between my legs and gazed at Ayden. “Well, that was an interesting call.”

“Tell me about it. Are you buying that spill about Izzy soul-searching?”

“I don’t know.” I massaged my temples and tried to think from a rational point of view. “The part of me that holds out hope that Izzy will change someday and be a decent person wants to believe it’s happening. The part that’s always dealt with Izzy is questioning the validity of her story.”

Ayden rubbed my shoulders as he glanced toward the fireplace. “I’m having a hard time believing it. Something in my gut is saying this is all a show. She knows people are watching her right now. Why wouldn’t she act remorseful? Hell, we just listened to a recording a little while ago of her confessing what she planned to do. She’s twisted, Mia.”

“I know she is. Still, I can’t help but wonder if her feelings about the baby changed after she found out she was pregnant. You saw how devastated she was. Then she finds out I’m pregnant. If she’s going insane, I can’t help but feel partially responsible.”

As my guilt consumed me, Ayden tipped my chin until I met his eyes again. “Don’t let her do this to you. What you’re thinking right now is exactly what Izzy wants. We can’t be responsible for your sister’s happiness.”

“I know. I guess I try to find the good in everyone. How can someone who shares the same blood as me be so cruel? My dad isn’t like that. Neither were my grandparents.”

He stroked my arm, doing his best to soothe me. “Mia, for all we know, Izzy is faking everything. I’m questioning if she’s even taking her medicine. Is anyone watching her?”

“You heard everything I did. As far as I know, no one is verifying it.

I thought about his question a moment. My father only mentioned that Izzy was on medication by her doctor’s orders. He didn’t say who was dispensing it. If she was doing it herself, which I’m sure she was, we wouldn’t know for sure if she had taken anything.

It was time to get verification. I would text my father later and ask if he’d witnessed her taking her medicine. If not, I had to convince him to find it. Everyone’s safety depended on it. Besides, I still wasn’t convinced that whoever sent the recording to Ayden wasn’t attempting to extort us. If Izzy wasn’t making progress or taking her medication, there was a good chance she could be involved in the scheme.

Now more than ever I had to protect the people I loved.