“You won’t be settled if Krystal harms you or Sadie because that’s where we are right now, Annie. This is fucking serious. Sadie is five. She can make new friends. You can find another job.”

“I’m not going to live in fear, Archer, and you are not helping. Neither is this conversation.”

I blow out a disgruntled breath. “I’m not there to protect you, and I can’t be in two places at once. Knowing that Krystal has photos of you guys scares the shit out of me. You’re the only family I have.”

“You don’t know if it’s actually her or someone she hired. You can’t be in two places at once, well neither can she,” Annie says.

“Either way, I don’t trust her intentions. She sends them with threats, and I feel like she’s building this up to do something, to lash out, to hurt one or both of you. Do you understand how serious this is?”

She sighs. “Yes. I do. But I can’t do anything about it. I could go to the police but tell them what, exactly? Someone took a picture of me in a public place, and now my brother is worried? I don’t have evidence. I haven’t been attacked. She hasn’t approached us, so she’s not in violation of the restraining order. Maybe you’re blowing this up to be more than it is because she’s playing mental warfare with you. She knows your weaknesses, and she’s using them against you. These types of intimidation tactics are meant to cause paranoia. Ever thought about that?”

“It’s deeper than that, Annie. You and I both know that she’s unhinged and was extremely upset when Chad died. Unless you’ve forgotten the smear campaign she went on? She hates that I got out of prison and has let it be known that everyone I love will pay. The woman is insane, and I wouldn’t put it past her to put her threats into action. That’s all I’m saying. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if something happened to Sadie or you when I could’ve prevented it all.”

“Listen...” Her voice softens. “I understand that, and I know she’s mentally unstable, but I can’t just be on the run for the rest of my life. I already left my hometown after you got sent away. I can’t put Sadie through that without plausible cause. I’m keeping watch and always checking my surroundings, Archer. I promise. If anything else happens, I will make sure you’re the first to know. Not so you can fix the problem, but so you can be aware. I didn’t think the car thing was her because it’s on its last leg anyway. Everything over here is fine. You need to relax and breathe, okay?”