“So, you haven’t heard from him?” I asked Kane for what felt like the tenth time.

“No,” he said softly. “I sent him updates every hour or so, but that’s it. I know that he was trying to track down a lead on Collins but not much more.”

“Then how the hell do you even know that he is alive, Kane?” I shot at him. “What is wrong with all of you? You have men tailing me every second of the day but you can’t find the freaking ringleader of this damn circus?”

“Rosa!” he said in shock.

I was tired of being kept in the dark, and every day, my worry grew stronger. My emotions seemed to bounce all over the place at the drop of a pin. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I needed to keep my voice down. Things around here were already shaky. I didn’t want to rock the boat anymore. The last thing I needed was for Peyton’s men to come bursting in because they heard me yelling.

“Just hang in there, Rosa.”

I huffed. “You know, you might blindly follow him, but I sure as hell don’t. This is my life, not yours or Peyton’s.”

“Don’t be like that. I’ve heard him talk about you. He’s head over heels for you.”

“I don’t care,” I hissed back before hanging up the phone.

I couldn’t deal with him anymore. I was supposed to be out in front. Once again, Mary was stepping in to pick up the slack. I hated feeling like a failure, but Peyton had my emotions on edge. I shoved my hair back out of my face and took a deep breath. The butterflies in my stomach hadn’t stopped all day and it was making me feel queasy. I steadied myself as I pushed through the door and smiled at Mary.

“You are looking a little green around the edges. Are you okay?” she whispered.

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. I just feel dizzy all of a sudden.”

“Here,” she said. “You need to sit down.”

I took her advice, thankful that the lunch rush was coming to an end. Mary went back to the register. My mind started to race as I thought back a few weeks. Had it really been that long? I started to panic as I grabbed my purse and got Mary’s attention.

“I need to get out of here,” I whispered to her.

“Okay. Is everything okay?”

I nodded but said nothing as I slipped out the door. Just as I passed into the alley, my stomach churned and I doubled over with nausea. I managed to find my way to my car and sat in silence for a few seconds before driving to the nearest drug store. When I made it back to my house, I didn’t even pause to watch whether my tails were still there. Running into the house, I headed straight for the bathroom. The next few minutes could determine the rest of my life.

I waited impatiently for three minutes before looking down at the pregnancy test in my shaking hand. My heart was racing, and suddenly, it all made sense as I looked down at the two lines.

“Oh, shit,” I muttered. “I’m pregnant.”

* * *

“Hey, don’t worry about it. We have time to figure this out,” Mary whispered.

She’d closed the bakery and come right over when I sent the test results. Making customers happy was the last thing on my mind at that moment, and I needed a friendly ear.

“What am I going to do?”

“When was the last time you heard from him?”

I shrugged. “A few days ago. It’s not about that. I know that he would help me if he found out. I just don’t know that I want that.”

“Why not? He seems like a nice enough guy,” she muttered.

“Can we just not talk about him right now? What am I going to do? I’m not ready to have a kid.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “You are going to be an amazing mother. You take care of everyone who needs help.”

“Great,” I whispered. “Listen, I need to make a few phone calls. Thank you for checking on me, but I think I just want to be alone for a while.”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything,” she said as she leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

I closed the door behind her and went to the couch before I curled up. What was I going to do? I needed to talk to Peyton, but it had been days since I’d heard from him. I dialed his number but it went straight to voicemail. Kane was a little more willing to answer his phone. Even though I wanted Peyton, Kane was a familiar voice with good news, and it was great to hear something positive for a change.

“How is Shannon today?” I asked optimistically.

Kane chuckled. “She is coming out of her shell. It’s like she’s a new person compared to how she was forty-eight hours ago. Every minute that she is away from Collins, she remembers bits of her life before him.”

“That’s so good to hear. Do you know when she will be able to go out?” I asked hopefully. I could really use someone from my past right about now. Shannon would be a wonderful aunt if we could get her out of the hold that Collins had on her.

“We are actually going out for coffee here in a few minutes. She still doesn’t remember much before Collins, but she is trying. Every once in a while, she will slip back into the world that she was locked in for so long. Still, I’m hopeful that before long, she will make a full recovery. She’s been asking about you, Rosa. Brandi was one of the first people she started to recall. She was worried about you and remembers when you left. She really wants to see you. Do you want to meet us for coffee?”

“No,” I whispered. “I just want to be alone right now. Have you still not heard from him?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure everything is okay. Sometimes, these things just take a while. It will be okay. Do you have everything you need? The boys said that you closed down the shop early.”

“Yeah,” I stammered. “I guess I just needed to take a break, and I hate counting on other people to run it for me.”

“Well, the offer is there if you want to join us. Shannon would love it.”

“It sounds like you’ve got it covered. Thanks for everything, Kane,” I said again. “Shannon is dealing with a lot, and going out is just the first step. I will try and get over there at some point, but no promises. I have can’t wait to see her, but I want her to heal first.”

“Well, I am here anytime you need me. Hang in there. Peyton will get ahold of you soon enough, I’m sure. If I hear from him, I’ll give you a call.”

“It’s okay, don’t bother. I know that he is busy. I’m grateful for everything that he’s done, but I need to get on with my life.”

“You don’t mean that,” he stammered.

“I think I do. I love Peyton, but I need some peace in my life. I won’t get that if I always have to look over my shoulder. Just tell him to get ahold of me when he can. This isn’t really something we can talk about over the phone.”

“All right, but you’re freaking me out. Are you sure there is nothing that I can do?”

“I’m positive. I need to figure out my life on my own. Keep me posted on Shannon though.”

“Okay,” he said softly. “I’ll talk to you soon, Rosa.”

“Sure,” I murmured.

I ended the call but my mind was still racing. I wasn’t going to talk to Kane or anyone else soon. Peyton wasn’t checking in and I couldn’t go to the feds. Whoever had leaked my location to Collins and his men could still be working for them. They wouldn’t help to relocate me a second time, and even if they did, Collins would still be able to find me. In that moment, I made the decision that was best for me and for my unborn child. I didn’t want to live a life of fear and I was tired of waiting around for help.

Nothing needed to change right now though. I had time to plan and think about what was going to happen. I knew that the only way I could move on was if I stopped worrying about everyone else and started taking care of myself and the baby. I straightened my shoulders and looked around the small house that I had made into a home. It had been good to me, but it was time to move on.