Page 37 of Slay King

A cold, damp cloth was pressed against my head and cheeks. My lungs no longer burned, and I was lying down. I tried to remember where I was before opening my eyes because I was clearly not alone. Someone was moving the cloth around my face gently.

“He can’t know. No one can. At least not right now. There is too much at stake,” I heard Maeme speak above me.

“You think it’s smart to keep this from him?” Dr. Drew’s voice sounded unsure.

“Yes. For now. I know, and that is all she needs. I can take care of her. Make sure she and my great-grandbaby are okay. There are issues that have to be dealt with first. If King knows, then he will act irrationally. Mess up. Get himself killed. This baby needs its father.”

“Very well. It’s your call. You’d better keep me alive when the time comes.”

She wasn’t going to tell King. I lay there, trying to decide if I was relieved or not. Did I want him to know? Could I keep this a secret from him? How would he get himself killed?

“You are safe. This is my call, and I will take full responsibility.”

“You’ll tell Blaise?” It was a question, not a demand.

Maeme sighed. “Yes. I’ll have to. But he will agree with me. Hopefully, he’ll move the Insantos bullshit to the top of his priority list when he finds out.”

I opened my eyes then and stared up at Maeme beside me, taking the cloth from my face. Her eyes met mine.

“There she is,” she said softly. “You had too much to take in at one time. Couldn’t handle it all. But you’re fine. You are going to stay that way too. I’m gonna take care of you.”

My hand moved to my stomach. It was still flat, and that made it even harder to believe there was a child inside of me. A living being that was part of me.

“The baby is just fine too,” Maeme said, patting the top of my hand gently. “Just lie there and relax. Take deep breaths. You are going to be okay. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you or my great-grandbaby.”

That lump of emotion began growing in my throat again.

“You’re not going to tell King,” I said, wanting to clarify what I had heard.

She squeezed my hand in hers. “Not right away. He needs to stay focused. What he is dealing with right now is dangerous, and if his head isn’t in the game, he could get hurt. Or killed. Neither of us wants that.”

“I’ll leave you two to talk. But the vitamins we discussed are right here,” Dr. Drew told Maeme. “I’ll be back in a week to check on her, and I’ll get the ultrasound machine moved in this weekend while King is gone.”

“Thank you, Drew,” she replied. “We are just fine.”

“I’d go over what all she needs to eat and what to do to take care of her and the baby, but I figure you’ve got that handled.”

“That I do.” Maeme’s bright tone didn’t match her expression. The worry lines in her face were hard to mask.

I wanted to be alone. Back at the cottage. I needed time to think this all through. There were so many questions and fears running through my head. I didn’t know where to even start.

Dr. Drew gave me an encouraging smile. “I leave you in good hands.”

I managed a nod, but nothing more.

“Now, let’s sit you up slowly and move you to a more comfortable location,” Maeme suggested.

“I had alcohol last night,” I told her as the thought hit me.

She took my hand and pulled me up to a sitting position again. “Won’t hurt a thing. Most women have a few drinks before they find out their pregnant. You’re early still. The baby didn’t get any of it.”

That was a small relief among the list of things I had to worry about.

“Now, we are gonna go up to the sunroom. I’ll bring you a cup of peppermint tea, and you can read a book and relax.”

I wasn’t going to be able to focus on a book, but I stood up and let her lead me up the stairs anyway. Perhaps while I pretended to read, I could think about what would happen next. How I would move forward. What I would tell King when the time came.

I just wished I knew how he was going to react.

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