Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
I reach for it to see what’s going on. I have a ton of missed calls and text messages from Eric. I open the text first. When I scroll up and find the last text to him from my phone, my mouth falls open. I know Anthony can be petty and mean, but damn.
I have no words. I don’t even know what to say to Eric. His messages are quite comical.
He goes from flipping out to begging me to call him and talk to him so we can fix this. Nah, I’m good. Out of curiosity, I pad to the kitchen to find the divorce papers. A smile comes to my lips as I read the black writing scrolled across the top page.
Yeah, that’s going to be a no. You want me to sign, come find me in Vander. As for now, fuck your divorce.
“You’re a fucking asshole, Ant,” I mutter to myself and shake my head.
Chapter 14
No, No, No
Alexis
Two months later…
The bass from this beat is knocking. I bob my head with my pen in my hand and my pad in my lap. I mumble the hook forming in my head.
The engineer opens the food that just arrived and my stomach rolls as my mouth waters. I’m not going to keep my lunch down, just like I couldn’t keep down breakfast. It’s been the same thing all week.
“Excuse me,” I rush out before I grab my bag and run from the room.
I make it to the bathroom in time to empty my stomach. I know what’s wrong, I’m just in denial. Tears spill down my face.
This would only happen to me. Under different circumstances, I would be over the moon. Anthony and I talked about having a family together years ago.
Now I know if I step into Vander with this news, he’ll probably curse me out. It’s bad enough I don’t get as much work as I used to since Eric tried to blackball me.
Thank God, over the years, I’ve made more friends than people he has any pull over. They’d rather have my hits than stand by Eric as he whines over a relationship that wasn’t truly going anywhere. It’s not my fault the writing was on the wall, but he couldn’t read it.
“What am I going to do?”
I’m not the type to want to keep a man’s child from him, but Vander and Bridge Lake are a no-fly zone for me. I can’t chance someone deciding to hold my baby over me and Ant. Uncle Marvin has moved up in the world. I’m sure there are more threats than I could ever imagine back home.
The target on my family is bigger than ever. The more I dig into Anthony and his family, I can see I’d be placing them in harm’s way as well if I show up. Blake Knight is tied to so much in Vander. Pit isn’t that far from the center of things either.
I close the toilet and sit on the seat. Pulling out my phone, I call Kid. It’s been a while since I’ve checked in.
I don’t have to go back for Anthony. I just want the baby to have him, to have us both. There has to be a way.
“Hey, sis. What’s up? I was just thinking about you,” Kid sings into the phone.
“I think I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.
“By that Eric guy?”
“No, by my husband. I’ve never cheated on him.”
“Oh my God, the trip to New York. I knew he came back in a funk.”
“Yeah, we bumped into each other, and one thing led to another.”
I reach into my bag with a shaky hand and pull out the test I purchased. I need to take it and get back out there to finish these hooks they’re paying me to write.
“Well, I don’t know if this is the greatest time to come back here. Your cousin was kidnapped. Pit just got her back.”
“Wait, what? Which cousin?”
“Shawna. Apparently, Mayven has been working with Pit to find her and get her back.”
“Why haven’t you called me?”
“I just found out. Pit asked for a favor. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known. They’ve been doing those races, but Ox wasn’t talking much about them, so I thought nothing of it.
“I just thought Pit and Ven got over their shit and hooked up. I knew nothing about Shawn.”
I push a hand into my hair. I should have been there. Once again, I’m on the outside when my family needs me. It’s like I’m stepping out of the house as that van drives off all over again.
“Are they okay?” I choke out.
“Honestly, Shawn looks like she’s been through some shit. Ven was on the verge of losing her shit. I almost had to kick her ass.”
I snort. Kid has hands, but she doesn’t have Ven’s hands. She’d handle herself until Ven got tired of playing with her, but I keep that to myself.