Page 57 of Under My Skin

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

DANIELA

My text alertchimed just as Leo, one of the security guards Braden had hired for me, turned into the parking lot of the office building that Glenn Salinger, Attorney at Law, worked out of. Taking a shaky breath in a futile attempt to calm the jittering nerves inside me, I pulled my phone out of my purse to find a text message that made bile rise in my throat as the knot in the pit of my stomach tightened.

Blocked

Fucking bitch. I told you to stay from Braden. I told you he was MINE. And now you’ve turned him against me.

God damn it. With everything else that had happened in the space of the past seventy-two hours, I’d almost forgotten the reason why I had to have an escort everywhere I went.

What the hell was I going to do if my suspicions turned out to be true and Braden was about to cut me out of his life? How was I supposed to keep Isaac safe all by myself? How was I supposed to keepmyselfsafe every time I left my apartment if I didn’t have this security detail with me? This psycho had gone from emailsto a text message, which meant she’d somehow gotten my phone number. She was zeroing in on me. Circling the wagons. It was only a matter of time before she decided to strike.

Looking out the window of the Hummer, I spotted Braden’s Escalade parked in the second row, and he was standing on the sidewalk right next to the entrance with his hands in his pockets, like he was just as tied up in knots as I was right now. Probably nervous about me losing my mind when he told me he was going to try to take my child from me.

“Do you want me to come in with you, Dani?” Leo asked.

I shook my head. “No, I’ll be okay. I don’t think we’ll be long.”

At least I hoped it wouldn’t take too long. But really, how long could it possibly take to serve me with legal papers?

“Okay, I’ll be right here when you’re done,” he said with a half-smile.

Taking as deep of a breath as I could manage, I opened the door and hopped down from the front seat of the massive SUV. Braden’s lips turned up in a smile as soon as he saw me, and he started walking toward me.

What the hell? Why did he lookhappyto see me?

“Hey, beautiful.” His voice was full of pain and some other emotion I couldn’t put a name to as he came to a stop about a foot away from me. “You look like hell. You okay?”

My brain felt like it was short-circuiting as I looked at him like a deer in headlights. Why did hecarewhether or not I was okay? If he cared so much, then why were we at his lawyer’s office?

“No.” I blew out a trembling breath. “No, I’m not okay. Your stalker just texted me. Not an email. A text. Said something about how I turned you against her.”

His eyes went wide, and I could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “Fuck.” He took a deep breath. “I think it’s Vicki. I can’t prove it yet, but the way she was acting today… I’mhaving my PI run a background check on her, and we’re meeting with the detectives who are handling my case tomorrow. Can you do me a favor and send me a screenshot so they can add it to the file?”

I let out a gasp. Hispublicistwas the one doing this to him? Tous? Why?

Not that it really mattered. Not if he was about to cut me out of his life. I’d have to find a way to deal with her and protect Isaac on my own if she kept trying to get to me after today.

I nodded. “Yeah, I can. Look, I know I’m not going to like whatever we’re doing here, so let’s just get it over with, okay?”

In an instant, his arms were around me. And damn it, I couldn’t quell the tidal wave of relief that washed over me as I just melted into his arms. I couldn’t stop myself from daring to hope that maybe my lifewasn’tabout to implode.

“It’s nothing bad, sweetheart,” he said softly. “I promise.”

“You…you’re not taking him from me?” My voice was as small and weak as I felt right now.

“What? No.” Braden pulled back to look at me, his brows knitted in confusion. “Why would you think that?”

I averted my gaze, unable to look at him as my face heated in humiliation. “I…I just assumed… You asked me to meet you at your lawyer’s office. I couldn’t figure out any other reason.”

Gentle fingers landed under my chin as he raised my face so I had to look at him, his brown eyes full of sorrow and compassion. “Dani, listen to me. I wouldnevertry to take Isaac from you. Not in a million years. You’re his mom. You’ve taken care of him since the day he was born. I’m the fuckup sperm donor who didn’t have a clue about him until three nights ago. I’m just grateful for whatever role you allow me to have in his life.”

A sob started to bubble up in my throat, and though I tried as hard as I could to swallow it back down, I wasn’t successful.I broke down in tears of utter relief that I wasn’t about to lose my nephew. Once again, Braden’s arms circled around me, squeezing tight.

“Shh,” he murmured, dragging his fingers through my hair and dropping a kiss on my head. “It’s okay, beautiful. You’re okay.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” I blubbered. “I’m so sorry. For everything.”

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