Water trickled behind me as Ayden and I sat on the edge of the fountain staring at the sonogram photo Chris handed us twenty minutes ago. The tiny black and white picture made my heart take an extra beat. The longer I stared at it, the more reality sank in.

My time was almost up. The last three months flew by so quickly I barely remembered half of it. In a few short weeks, I would be a mother. The sonogram photo was proof. So was my expanding waistline.

“I can’t believe how clear this picture is.” Ayden touched the edge of the sonogram as his eyes fixed on the image of our child. “Look at those cheeks.”

Chuckling, I rubbed my belly. “I swear I haven’t stopped eating for the last couple of months.”

He swept my hair behind my back and kissed my neck. Then he rested his chin on my shoulder. The warmth of his hands radiated through my shirt once they settled on my belly just below mine. “You’re beautiful, and all baby.”

“You’re such a sweetheart.”

Ayden glanced at the picture again. “Are you sure you don’t want to know the baby’s sex. What if I’m wrong and it’s a boy?”

“Then we’ll buy blue and love him just as much as we would a girl.”

His smile made my heart sing. I leaned in to kiss him just as I noticed my father approaching. After a quick peck on the lips, I motioned for Ayden to look to his side.

“Dad’s headed this way. Let’s show him the picture of his grandchild.”

Nodding at me, we both waited for my father to reach the water fountain. He waved at us when he was a few feet away. “Good afternoon, you two. I was wondering if I would see you today.”

“Sorry, Dad. I slept in this morning. It’s getting harder to stay asleep through the night with all of this attached.” My body jiggled from my laughter.

Dad snickered and shook his head. “You’re at the end of your journey, princess. My grandchild will be here soon. Then you’ll really know what it feels like to be sleep deprived.”

“Yeah, you have a point.” Despite the thought of losing more sleep, I knew it was worth it in the end. Besides, I’d have plenty of help. “Kay and Holden will be here next week. So will Aunt Jenny and Toni. Other than feedings, I’ll have plenty of help for a while.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear they’ll be here. Jenny plans to stick around for a little while, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, sir. Now that her divorce is final, she’s ready for a new start. I told her this is the place where dreams come true.”

Dad’s phone buzzed to life. He unclipped it from his side and tapped the screen a few times. I didn’t miss the way he grimaced.

“Is everything okay?”

His silence concerned me. So did the way he cracked his neck. Something was bothering him, and it had something to do with the text. After he fastened his phone back at his side, he observed Ayden and me.

“It’s Tommy from security. I’m on my way to meet with him.”

“Why? Did something happen with a guest?”

“No.” Dad rubbed at the scruff on his jawline. “I heard from the private investigator I hired to track down Izzy. He located her in Mississippi and followed her for a few days.”

Ayden’s brows shot higher. “Is he not following her anymore?”

“He lost track of her two days ago. I think she may have spotted him.”

My eyes fluttered closed. It wasn’t the news I wanted to hear, but it was good to know that my sister wasn’t near Music Haven. Knowing her, she was following a band on tour, targeting her next victim.

When I refocused on my dad, he was staring at me. “I don’t think your sister will show her face around here, but you still need to be on guard.”

“So why are you meeting with Tommy?”

“I apprised him of the situation, and we both think it’s a good idea to beef up security for a little while. I’m not taking any chances of Izzy showing up to hurt you, Ayden, or anyone else.” He jabbed his finger against his chest. “I should have had her committed instead of trying to take care of her myself.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Dad. You wanted to help her. I can only imagine how hard this has been for you as a parent.”

“Funny you should mention that.” A half-hearted laugh left his mouth. “Chris informed me that the paternity test I ordered on Izzy and me will be here in a few days. I’ll know for sure if she’s my daughter.”

I knew what it would do to him if he found out Izzy wasn’t biologically his child. My mother died because of the lies Izzy’s mother told. She would never have been in Death Valley or had her car forced off the road if Selena Giles hadn’t claimed him as her child’s father.

“Do you think your feelings will change if you find out she doesn’t belong to you?”

My father glanced in my direction. “I won’t deny that I’ll be angry, but more so at Selena than Izzy. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” His phone chimed again as he checked his watch. “Okay, I gotta get going. I’ll see you guys this evening.”

“Bye, Dad.”

Once my father strode toward the security office, I turned to Ayden. As I expected, he was staring at me. His leg jiggled a mile a minute, hinting at his concern.

Taking my hands in his, he held them as he studied my face. “Mia . . . ”

I squeezed his hands and smiled. “Don’t worry. Izzy won’t show her face around here. Even if she does, security will be on her before she can find us.”

“I can’t lose you or the baby. If she hurts either of you, I’ll—”

I covered his mouth with my hand and shook my head. “Don’t finish that sentence. If we sit around and worry about what Izzy is up to, we’re just giving her what she wants. I’m not going to allow her to screw with us anymore. We only have three weeks before the baby is due. Let’s not waste that time on her.”

Ayden leaned his head to mine and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just get a little crazy when I think about someone hurting you.”

“Come on.” I stood from the fountain and offered him my hand. “Let’s go to the suite for a little while. I could use a nap.”

“That’s code for snuggle time, right?”

As he wrapped his arm around me, I laughed. “There will definitely be snuggling involved.”

Hand in hand, we made our way toward the condo. I didn’t miss the way Ayden kept glancing at me then pretending like he wasn’t when I caught him. I wasn’t sure how I could relieve his mind, but I hoped some time alone would ease the tension growing in his body.

We were just a few yards away from the front door when I heard someone yelling. Before I could search for the person to see what the problem was, gunshots rang through the air.

“Holy shit!” Ayden took off in a sprint, dragging me behind him. He ducked behind the golf cart and pulled me to the ground. My side began to cramp as he did his best to hide us from the gunman. I tried to ignore the pain, but it switched to a burning sensation as everything around me began to spin.

“I can’t believe it.” Ayden’s voice resonated in my mind as I struggled to comprehend what he was saying. “It’s Izzy. Son of a bitch, she’s here. How the hell did she get past security?”

I searched the courtyard for my sister, spotting her just a few feet from the water fountain. I wasn’t sure if she saw us hiding behind the golf cart, but I knew she was speed walking in our direction.

Just as she raised her gun and aimed it toward the golf cart, several security guards tackled her to the ground. One was able to strip the gun out of her hand before she could pull the trigger again.

As other members of my security team came running from every direction, Ayden looked at me. “They got her. We’re safe.”

He helped me stand, but when he let me go, my body swayed. Ayden’s arms wrapped around me before I fell to the ground. “Mia, what’s wrong?”

“I . . .” It hurt to breathe. I struggled to answer him. No matter how much my mouth worked to get the words out, nothing came.

Ayden’s face wrinkled in confusion. His head began shaking, but as his eyes lowered, I noticed them widen a second later.

“Oh, my God.” He lifted his hand. Crimson stained his skin as blood rolled down his wrist. The sight of it made me queasy, and my dizziness increased.

As my legs grew weak, Ayden caught me. His voice sounded like it was in a tunnel as I heard him yelling for help. I didn’t understand why he was so upset until I heard him yell at someone that I’d been shot.

Then the world around me faded.

Red lights flashed above me as I stared at the ambulance and the EMTs who were working on Mia. She hadn’t regained consciousness, and every passing second had me fearing the worst. I promised to protect her and the baby. Now I wasn’t sure if either of them would recover.

The weight of my heart kept me frozen beside the golf cart, observing the horrible sight before me. Mia’s cream-colored shirt seeped with crimson at her waist. The longer I stared, the more I struggled to breathe. This could not be happening. It had to be a dream. Yet the shouting in the background pulled me from the scene that was ripping my soul apart.

The sheriff’s car sat a few yards away from where the ambulance parked. Gary and one of his deputies had Izzy cuffed and standing at the back door. They asked her several times to get in the car. When she didn’t comply, they forced her inside.

Acid churned in my gut. The anger flowing through me took control, and I stepped in Izzy’s direction. I didn’t get far before a hand clasped my shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Meeting Bentley’s eyes, I pointed toward the sheriff’s car. “If they don’t get her out of here soon, I swear to God I’m going to snap her neck.”

“Watch what you’re saying, dude. You’re angry and afraid. Don’t react to her, and don’t let the cops hear you threaten her.”

“Focus on Mia, Ayden,” Andi urged as she rubbed my arm. “She’s what matters, not that low-life piece of trash.”

They were right. I knew that, but the hole in my heart filled my head with murderous thoughts. I wanted to kill my ex-girlfriend. She didn’t realize how fortunate she was to be sitting in the back of Gary’s cruiser. It was the safest place for her, and the dumbass was begging to be set free.

I fisted my hand, squeezing it until my body shook.

Forcing myself to turn away, I found Mia lying on the gurney, eyes closed. One EMT replaced the gauze on her abdomen and pressed on it. If they didn’t stop the bleeding . . .

My worst fears came true today. Izzy’s lies were exposed and she finally snapped. The worst part of all, she held true to the threats she made against Mia. God, I wanted to kill her.

Just as the EMTs raised the gurney and lifted it toward the ambulance, my heart sank. The thirty-minute ride to the hospital would be one of the longest. I was in no shape to drive, but Bentley promised to get me there.

My eyes fell on Mia’s face just before they shut the back doors of the ambulance. Her pale skin was a warning of how much blood she’d lost. Her nose and mouth hid behind an oxygen mask that was strapped to her head. I prayed for her to open her eyes and look at me, no matter how briefly, before she disappeared from my sight.

My prayer went unanswered.

“Stay with him, Bentley.” Andi’s voice invaded my thoughts. “I’ll go get the SUV and bring it to you.”

“We’ll be waiting.”

I didn’t look at either of them. I couldn’t.

“Ayden, do you need anything from the suite before we head to the hospital?”

“No.” My voice shook.

Bentley patted my back. “It’s going to be okay, man. Don’t tell yourself different. Mia’s strong, and so is your kid. Have faith.”

I wanted to believe him, but fear ruled me. Turning back to the sheriff’s cruiser, I spotted Shane speaking with Gary. Both looked in my direction, then Shane nodded and walked toward Bentley and me.

As soon as he reached us, he placed his hand on my shoulder. “How you holding up, son?”

“I’m not doing well. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Try not to think the worst. Let’s get to the hospital. Chris left a minute ago. He asked me to text him when we got there and he’d meet us.”

“Andi went to get the car.” I pointed toward the condo.

“Okay. We’ll ride together.” He squeezed my shoulder just as Gary yelled his name.

“Izzy won’t stop beating her head against the window unless she talks to him.”

When he pointed toward me, my gut clenched. I didn’t want to see her, yet at the same time, my curiosity spun out of control.

“You don’t have to go over there. You owe Izzy nothing,” Bentley assured me.

“It’s okay. This won’t take long. I promise.”

By the time I made it to the cruiser, Gary had approached me. “Keep your head on straight, son. I know you’re angry, but reacting to it won’t do you, Mia, or your child any good. We clear?”

Nodding at him, I waited until he opened the back door then walked to the front of his car. Izzy sat in the seat, mascara running down her cheeks as she sniffled. The sight of her repulsed me.

“What do you want?”

One of her brows lifted. “I just wanted to look in your eyes as I tell you how much I hope my sister and her baby don’t make it.”

I flinched at the comment but didn’t give in to my ire. It’s what Izzy wanted. “Enjoy jail.”

“Ayden, wait.” She said my name just before I could step away. I was reluctant to give in but finally did. “Despite what you say, I know a part of you still loves me. You wouldn’t have agreed to talk to me if you didn’t.”

“I’ll admit I was curious about what you had to say. Part of me thought you were going to boast about what you did. The other part hoped some shred of human decency existed inside you. I see I was wrong about the latter.”

“It’s okay, Ayden. I’ll wait for you. I’ll even help you pick up the pieces after Mia and the baby die.”

“Go to hell and rot.” I took two steps away then pivoted on my heel. “You lost any chance you had with me years ago. Now you’ve lost something far more precious.”

Izzy snorted. “Oh yeah? And what would that be?”

“Your freedom.”

It took a minute to sink into her thick skull. By the time it did, I had walked away, leaving her screaming and cursing. As I passed Gary, I motioned toward the back of his car. “Do us all a favor and get her out of here.”

“Don’t worry, Ayden. You won’t be seeing this one for a long time. By the way, one of my deputies is escorting you to the hospital. Send Mia my love. I’ll pray for all of you.”

“Thank you.”

Rushing toward the SUV, I ignored Izzy’s pleading and kept moving forward. As soon as I reached the vehicle, I jumped into the passenger side while Andi and Shane loaded up in the back. Once Bentley fastened his seatbelt, he shifted into drive and rushed out of the security gate.

The deputy Gary mentioned was waiting for us at the end of the driveway. Once he turned on his lights and pulled onto the road, Bentley followed. Then the pedal went to the floor as we raced toward the hospital.

The irony of the situation left a bitter taste in my mouth. Mia swore something would happen that would help us get rid of Izzy for good. It finally did, but it came at a steep cost.

I only prayed my wife and child survived.