"Stay away from him," I seethe. "You're not going near him."
"Shut the fuck up." He pushes me to the ground, his hand around my neck. "That's my kid."
"He's not."
I register my mother's voice calling for help in the distance. I can hear Cory's screams.
"I'm taking him." He's pulling his heavy frame back up.
"Like hell you are." I reach to grab his legs and yank as hard as I can. He teeters before falling forward. "Run, please," I scream into the air. "Mom, take him." I can't see anything. I can't tell if they're still close.
"You're a little bitch." He's clawing at me, trying to break my hold on his legs. "You're ruining everything."
"Leave him alone." My voice is so unfamiliar. It's so high pitched and filled with fear. "I have money. I can give you money."
He flips us both over until he's sitting on my chest. The pressure is so much. I can barely breathe. His large hand grabs hold of my neck and he squeezes.
"Please," I whimper as I flail beneath him. "Leave him alone."
"How much?" His dark eyes bore into me. He's unshaven. His clothes are dirty and mismatched. He's breathing heavily, rage coursing over his expression.
"Millions." I try to talk but my throat is so compressed. "I have millions. You can have it all."
"You have millions?" He squeezes harder and I choke. I can't cough. I can't talk. I can barely breathe.
I nod my head frantically. I feel as though my eyes are going to pop out of my head. Please let me go I want to say. Please leave us all alone.
"Sadie." I hear Hunter's voice. I hear it. I close my eyes. I'll think about Hunter. I'll remember what it felt like the first time he kissed me. I'll think about his arms. I should have said yes. I could have married him.
"Fuck," Peter's voice booms through my ears. I open my eyes slightly. I don't have the strength to lift the lids any higher. My arms fall to my sides. I can't breathe. I can't.
I watch Peter's fist rise above my face just before I hear Hunter's voice calling to me. "Sadie. No. God. No."
"You stupid little bitch," Peter growls. "You fucked up everything."
I close my eyes as the pain of the blow barrels through me.
***
I hear a siren. I taste blood.
"Cory," I try to whisper but I can't find my voice. My eyes flutter open slowly.
"Please, please." Hunter is rocking me. I'm resting in his lap. I can feel his sobs running through me.
I move my hand to his. It's so heavy. I pull it across the fabric of his pants. "Hunter." My lips move but I don't hear anything. "Hunter."
He jumps when my hand touches his. "Sadie, sunshine."
"Cory," I try to say louder. "Where is he?"
"Sadie." He only repeats my name, his body still rhythmically rocking back and forth as he cradles me in the grass.
I try to push away from him but I have no strength. My body is so heavy. There's more blood. I can taste it. It's bitter. I try to reach to touch my face but my hand doesn’t move. It's resting against Hunter's.
"Sir, please." There's a woman's voice now. She's close. I can feel her touching me.
"I can't let her go." Hunter's voice is filled with so much sadness. He's crying. I can feel it through me.
"We need to look at her." She's insistent. I see the flash of a glove as her hand reaches to cradle my wrist. She's taking my pulse. I'm fine I want to tell her.
"Let her be okay, please, let her be okay," Hunter's voice cracks. "Is she going to be okay?"
"We need to take her in." She's trying to pry Hunter's arms from around me but he won't let go.
"No." He struggles to stand while he's holding me. "I'll take her."
"Sir." Her voice is more insistent now. "Let her go."
I try to squeeze his hand. I need him to know I'm okay. Everything is spinning so fast though. I close my eyes again.
Chapter 22
"I made you this picture." Cory climbs onto the couch beside me and hands me a purple hued painting.
"Is there a giraffe in it?" I try to smile but my face doesn't cooperate the way I want it to.
"Just you." He taps his hand on my leg.
I glance down to see a stick person with a very large face and an enormous purple mark on their cheek under their right eye.
I have to pull my hand up over my mouth to control my need to giggle. "This is very good. It's lifelike."
"You got that thing there." He tentatively touches the welt under my left eye. "She's got that thing too." He points to the paper.
"It's brilliant." I reach to pull his head into my chest. "I love it."
"You saved me." His words are barely more than a whisper as he pulls my hand into his. "The stranger was going to steal me. You saved me."
My eyes well with tears. It's been three days now and I haven't talked with him about it at all. This is the first time I've seen him since the attack in the park. I didn't want Hunter to bring him to the hospital. I couldn't subject him to that.
"You would have saved me if he was trying to steal me." I work to keep my voice at an even temper. I know he has to be traumatized by what happened. Even though my mother scooped him up and ran from Peter, I know that he still must have been terrified by what he saw.
He finally looks up at me, his brilliant blue eyes resting on the bruise on my face. "You're a ninja."
I laugh out loud at the proclamation. "A ninja? That's cool, right?"
"The coolest." He nods before leaping from my lap. "I'm thirsty." He runs into the kitchen.
I stare at the picture as my mother sits down next to me. "I was so scared." She pulls her arm around my shoulder. "Sadie, I'm so grateful you're okay."
I reach to embrace her. I need to have her arms around me. I can't imagine what would have happened to Cory if she wouldn't have been in the park that day. "Thank you for being there for him."
"He's my grandson." I see her gaze drift behind me towards Hunter. "He will be once you finally say yes."
I nod. "I will."
"Dad and I are going home now." She motions towards where my father is sitting across from us in a chair. His unexpected declaration of love at the hospital when I woke up hasn't been spoken of since. I know that he loves me now. I know that he understands that I love Hunter.
"I'll call you tonight." I squeeze her hand.
My father bends down to run his lips across my forehead before they leave.
"Do you want something, sunshine?" Hunter asks from where he's sitting on the edge of the coffee table. "I can get you some water or juice."
"No." I pat the spot next to me. "Come sit with me."
"I can't refuse that." He snuggles in next to me, carefully pulling me into his chest. "Does this hurt?"
I shake my head slightly. "It's not your fault," I whisper the words slowly.
I feel his breath hitch and his breathing stalls. "It is. I can't stop thinking about it."
"You have to." I trace my finger along his thigh. "It's over. He's in jail again. He's not coming back."
"When I saw his fist." His body trembles. "I just knew. I couldn't protect you. I ran so fast."
"You came to get us," I try to reassure him. "You came to the park as soon as you knew he was in Boston."
"I was so panicked when you didn't answer your phone, Sadie. All I got was that voicemail saying you were taking him to the park." He pulls me even closer into his chest. "I thought he'd taken you both away forever."
"I'm sorry I forgot it." I've felt horrible since I realized that he'd tried to call to warn me that day. He knew Peter was looking for Cory and he wanted to tell me to stay inside with him.
"No." He kisses my forehead. "I wish I had been there."
"I'm okay." I tilt my head back to look in his eyes. "We're all okay."
"We're going to be okay." His finger brushes against my swollen cheek.
I nod before I sink my cheek back into the fabric of his shirt. "Did you talk to your lawyer?"
&n
bsp; "Earlier," he offers.
"Well?" I tap his hand wanting more information than that.
"In a few months, Cory will be mine. I'll be his father, legally. In every way, he'll be mine."
"Ours," I whisper into him. "He'll be ours."
Chapter 23
"Princess, wake up."
I open my sleepy eyes to see Cory's face not four inches from mine. I smile at the sight. "I fell asleep."
"You had a nap like babies do."
The words are so sweet. I glance behind him to the clock on the nightstand. It's almost dinner time. I slept most of the afternoon away.
"We have a surprise." He can barely contain himself. He's literally shaking with excitement, the red hair on his head bouncing as he shifts from one foot to the other.
"You and daddy?"
"Me and Zander." He pulls his hand to his mouth as he lets out a big laugh at his own joke.
"Where's daddy?" I try to sit and I'm bowled over by a sudden feeling of dizziness. The doctor was right when he told me to take it easy for a few days.
"Come." He holds out his tiny hand and I reach for it. He waits patiently as I slowly pull myself into a sitting position before I tentatively try to stand.
"Is it a good surprise?" I follow his lead as we leave the bedroom and walk out into the main living room.
"The best." He nods as he glances back at me.
I'm greeted by the sight of dozens of small white lights and Hunter standing in the middle of it all. He's wearing the same tuxedo he had on the first night I saw him at my parents' house. He looks so different now. He's so much more handsome. I can see the kindness in him, the compassion that is always resting in his soul.
"Wait here." Cory bolts from the room and races down the hallway.
I shrug my shoulders as I stand and stare at Hunter.
"Do you remember when I pretended to forget my coat at your parents' house?"
The question draws a smile from deep within me. "I was just thinking of that night."
"My life began that night. You came down those stairs and I knew one day we'd build a life together. I knew that we'd have a family together."
"You wanted another woman's number, remember?" I joke through happy tears.
"I wanted you."
"Then you came to the bistro the next day."
A smile spreads across his perfect lips. "You were so shocked to see me. You were so beautiful."
I laugh. "I had on a dirty apron and my hair was a mess."
"You were the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on." He breathes a heavy sigh. "I just sat and stared at you while you worked."
"Then you were there at the restaurant that night." I float back in my mind to the night I went to the birthday dinner for Alexa's friend. "You and Jax."
"I wanted to take you home with me that night."
"I wanted to go home with you," I confess. "I wanted you to kiss me."
He smirks, "I asked you if you wanted to. You turned me down." He reaches for his chest. "I was heartbroken."
"I will never break your heart." I pull my own hand to my chest. "Never."
"Sadie," Cory's voice calls to me from behind.
Just as I start to turn he walks past me dressed in a tuxedo that's identical to Hunter's.
"Now, daddy? Now?" I can tell he's trying to whisper but his excitement is getting the better of him.
"Now." Hunter reaches down to kiss him on the cheek.
I watch carefully as Cory pulls a small box from his pocket just as Hunter kneels on one knee. Cory leans back, pulling himself onto Hunter's bent leg. "Princess Sadie, will you please marry us?" He opens the box and there's a brilliant diamond ring inside. Two large pear shaped diamonds are crafted together.
I stand in silence, staring right into my future.
"Yes, yes, yes," I say as I race across the room and into their arms.
Epilogue – One Year Later
"How will the baby know that I'm her brother?" Cory rests his head against my stomach. "Will you tell her when she comes out?"
I glance over at Hunter sitting on the foot of the bed. "If you talk to her now, she'll know your voice."
"No." He laughs. "That's not true."
"It is." I rub my belly, enjoying the very small bump that has appeared. It's still five months until our daughter arrives and already I'm anxious to know what she looks like. I want her to have Hunter's beautiful blue eyes. I want her to be as caring and loving as he is.
"All you have to do is rest your head on Sadie's tummy and talk to Olivia." Hunter moves to sit next to me now.
"You show me, daddy." Cory obviously needs a bit more convincing.
Hunter slides his tall body across the bed until his head is resting lightly on my stomach. He cradles my waist, pulling me into him.
"Listen carefully, champ." He pulls Cory's head back down.
I reach to cradle both of them in my hands.
"My sweet baby, Olivia," Hunter's voice breezes over the fabric of my t-shirt. "Your mommy, daddy and big brother are waiting for you."
"I'm going to show you how to draw," Cory's voice is faint.
"Daddy is going to tell you all about the day he married your beautiful mommy. She looked so beautiful."
"She did." Cory's head nods against my stomach. "We had so much fun that day."
We had. Our small wedding four months ago had been perfect. Only our families were there and Alexa had flown back for the celebration. It was simple, quiet and perfect.
"Sadie is going to be a doctor." Cory rubs his hand over my tummy. "I'm going to be one too so I can work with her."
I smile at the idea. This week Cory is determined to be a doctor; he's even taken to carrying my stethoscope around the apartment, listening to his own heartbeat.
"We love you very much." Hunter squeezes my side. "We all love each other very much."
"We do," Cory adds. "I won't share a room with you though."
That brings up a belly laugh from both me and Hunter.
"Cory." Hunter touches him on the head to get his attention. "We have a surprise for you."
I glance at Hunter and throw him a look. I thought we were going to wait until closer to moving day to share our surprise.
"What? Tell me." He's on his knees now, shaking the bed as he trembles with excitement.
"We're moving," I blurt out and that draws an animated frown from Hunter.
"Where? To Disneyland?" Cory jumps to his feet.
I shrug my shoulders at Hunter. Neither of us anticipated that reaction.
"To a new house," Hunter says excitedly. "A big house. You'll have a new room. Olivia too."
He pulls his hand to his face. "And a dog? Can I have a dog?"
I cock a brow waiting for Hunter to answer. "A dog too. We're going to be one happy family."
"We already are." I reach to pull his head closer.
"We already are," he whispers as his lips glide over mine.
Thank You!
Thank you for purchasing and downloading my book. I can’t even begin to put to words what it means to me. If you enjoyed it, please remember to write a review for it on Amazon. Let me know your thoughts! I want to keep my readers happy.
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About the Author
Deborah Bladon has never read a romance hero she didn't like. Her love for romance novels began when she was old enough to board the bus, library card in hand to check out the newest Harlequin paperbacks. She's a Canadian by heart, and by passport, but you can often spot her in New York City sipping a latte and looking for inspiration for her next story. Manhattan is definitely her second home.
She cherishes her family and believes that each day is a gift for writing, for reading, and for loving.
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