Pocketing his phone, he turned his heated gaze back to me, the sinister look leaving me deeply unsettled.He then removed his suit jacket and tossed it over my still naked, trembling body like a blanket.
“Do not disappoint me, wife,” he warned, then turned to leave, the door slamming shut behind him.
Summoning my last drop of strength, I turned to my side and pulled up my limbs, curling into myself on the medical table, and waited for the tremors to pass.As I clutched the jacket, Darren’s scent and warmth enveloped me.That dark and delicious smell was a warning that a dangerous predator was still nearby, making my stomach twist with anxiety.
I had been forced to taste the bitterness of defeat by Darren’s hand multiple times, but this time, the flavor was way off.With future consequences laid out, my plans for this pregnancy had shifted.I would do whatever it took to keep my ass out of that basement and Camaro from becoming a goddamn rug.My sanity depended on it.
When my body had finally regained some semblance of strength, I gently sat up from the table and pulled on Darren’s suit jacket, the length of the fabric easily covering my ass.With his cum now dried and crusted on the inside of my thigh, I hopped down from the medical table and almost dropped to the floor.My legs were so wobbly they could barely hold me up.
As I stabilized myself, mixed feelings of fear, anger, and hostility swirled in my chest, the image of the ultrasound still burning itself into my memories.
This child was now officially a clear threat to my carefully crafted existence and would change literally everything.I had to figure out a way to protect us both from the monster that would keep us here forever, at least until they were born.
I would have to be extra vigilant with myself and my health.If I did miscarry, I could not have Darren thinking I had caused it for even a millisecond.Because I would never recover.
And I would die before I let that happen a second time.
5
GONE
* * *
The sun peeked through the window curtains, the light touching my closed eyes and rousing me from my sleep.Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I could see it was just after seven in the morning.
A smaller, warm body lay next to me, her rib cage gently pressing into my forearm with each steady breath she took, soft skin beneath my fingertips.
In the quiet of the early morning, when Jaden was still asleep, everything was so calm and peaceful.And then it all crumbles to shit the second I force myself to leave it behind for a complete one-eighty.With everything that I do and the decisions I make, getting out of bed was always the hardest part of the day.But with the kingdom I’d built, it was fucking worth it.
My scarred knuckles grazed against Jaden’s lower belly.The anticipation that her body would start to swell in the next month or so brought a new kind of thrill to my blood.It was a new feeling being the one to create life instead of always taking it.For once, it was going to be my turn to adapt to a new situation.And I was only too fucking eager to start.
A groan suddenly left Jaden’s mouth, her body twisting in my hold until she was straining against it.Releasing her, she leaped from the bed and rushed toward the bathroom, the sound of her vomiting quickly following.Morning sickness had hit her hard, disrupting her appetite and mood, but since the ultrasound two weeks ago, she’d been trying her damnedest to keep it to herself.
Pulling back the sheets, I stepped out of bed and followed her into the bathroom.Her head was hung over the toilet bowl, her hair shielding her face as she continued to heave the contents of her stomach.Kneeling, I gently took her wild tresses and gathered them into my fist, pulling them away from her face until she was done.
Groaning aloud, she flushed the toilet and brushed my hands from her hair so she could stand.I watched her walk over to the sink to brush her teeth, her small frame hunched over the counter with her eyes closed.
Standing, I made my way over to her just as she put the toothbrush away, taking her shoulders in my hands.Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, and instead of fighting me, she turned around and pressed her head against my chest, a deep sigh escaping her lungs.
Capitalizing on the rare moment, I wrapped one arm around her shoulders and rested my hand against the back of her head.The most satisfying feeling in the world warmed my soul whenever Jaden came to me willingly, especially for comfort.And Ialwayswanted to encourage it.
“I’m sorry you’re still feeling sick,” I murmured softly, trying not to squeeze her too tightly.
She scoffed into my arm.“No, you’re not,” she mumbled.
“Well, I’m just not sorry why.”
Bending down, I pressed my arm into the back of her knees and lifted her against my chest, allowing her head to rest on my shoulder.I expected her to stiffen, but instead, she relaxed against me as I carried her back to the bed.It was still too early for her to be awake, and I wanted her to get as much rest as she could.
I laid her down in the bed and pulled the sheets up to her legs.She sighed as she turned her head into the pillow, her red hair fanning out over the black silk fabric.
“I think it’s getting worse,” Jaden murmured, resting her hand under her cheek.
“It will pass,” I reminded her, brushing my hand along her bare hip.
My eyes landed on the scar that lingered near her pelvis.To think this almost wasn’t possible because of the stupidity of my own people infuriated me to this day.I released a steady breath to let the anger go so I could focus on more important things.
“Go back to sleep,” I said, drawing the covers up to her shoulders.Watching her eyes close, I leaned over and kissed her forehead, taking in the delicate scent of her hair before withdrawing completely.