Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
As I sit in the driver’s seat, I stare down at Bernie’s phone. I asked him to borrow it to see if Amina would answer a call from his line.
Blowing out a breath, I dial her number and wait as it rings. My heart is hammering as I place it on speaker, and it continues to ring. I start the engine, ready to race to her place.
Caleb doesn’t need me anymore tonight. I’ve done my part here. Now it’s my turn to get my girl.
“Hello?” she finally picks up.
“Baby, don’t hang up. You misunderstood. I’m so excited we’re having a baby.
“I want to take care of you. I want to be there for you and our baby. I was just shocked,” I begin to explain before she can disconnect.
“But you said you can’t come with me. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be okay, Cam,” she whispers.
“Mina, please. There’s so much more you don’t know. Kay and I were going to try to work things out. I didn’t know you were carrying my baby.”
She scoffs on the other end of the phone. “Stay with the one you want. I’m only going to bring you drama.”
Anger fills me. She’s not listening. I need her to hear me out.
“Maribel,” I bark. “Listen to me. You are the one I want. You never bring me any drama I don’t want.
“You told me we should break up, but I’ve been making plans for us. I was planning to run with you. You mean everything to me, baby. I’d do anything for you.”
The line falls silent. As I pick the phone up from the cup holder, I see it’s still connected. When I zero in, I can still hear her breathing.
“Then why did you say you couldn’t come with me?” she finally says.
“I fucked up. Everything is so fucked up. Kay’s pregnant and she says it’s mine. My mama called me to Kay’s place for her to drop the bomb on me.
“You and I … you told me we were done. I was going to go through with the engagement and work things out. It felt like the right thing to do for the baby.”
“Maybe it is. Listen, Cam, he practically admitted to murdering my father at the funeral. I can’t go back.
“He’d kill me and this baby and then you. Let me go. Marry Kay. That’s what’s best. I’ll take care of our baby.”
“What’s best for who?” I growl into the phone. “If he wants us, let him come. I’m going to protect what’s mine.
“I’m coming over, baby. We need to talk. I’m going to get you two somewhere safe. I leave for the draft with my family in the morning.
“I’ll go to support Cal, but I won’t accept my offer. I have somewhere for you to go that’s safe. When I get back, we can disappear.”
“I’m already gone, Cam. I had to run.”
“Then I’ll come to you. Where are you?”
“We can’t.”
“Why not? Please don’t do this. Don’t take my family from me. I want you. I want you both. Please.”
The line falls silent again. However, this time, I think I hear her trying to muffle her cries. It’s then that I realize my face is soaked with my own tears.
I lean my head back and look up at the roof of the truck. My mind is racing. I don’t want to lose them. I’d die to protect them.
“Please, baby. I’d do anything for you. Please.”
“We need to be smart. You coming to me isn’t smart. I think he knows about us. He didn’t just kill him because I wouldn’t come back; he knows about us.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I found cameras in the apartment,” she says.
All the blood drains from my face. This guy is a fucking lunatic. Who cams up their fiancée’s place? It’s not even her place. That’s so fucked up.
“Okay, I was going to hire these special ops guys for Cal. I’ll hire two extras to be with you until I can meet up with you.”
“I said we have to be smart. That’s not smart. Not smart enough.”
“Okay, what are you thinking?”
I pick the phone up and take it off speaker. I breathe a little easier now that I feel some hope of getting to my family. My heart is still racing.
“Go to the draft and get drafted. I’m sure he knows all about you. If you don’t go, he’ll know you ran with me.
“We need you to look like you moved on with your life. Go through with things with Kay—”
“What are you talking about? You want me to marry her? No, Maribel. No.”
“Cam, please. This man killed his own brother to get to the top. You and I are nothing to him. This baby is even less.
“If you marry Kay, that’ll be even more convincing that you’ve moved on and I mean nothing to you. He’s not going to watch you as closely or try to harm you to find me.