Page 68 of Slay King

“She’s been through a lot. Not up for talking,” King said, placing a hand on my back. “Come on, sweets.”

None of them said anything more as we passed them. A man I didn’t recognize stepped out of one of the rooms. He looked to be about King’s father’s age, but he wasn’t dressed like the older men. His jeans, cowboy boots, and fitted black shirt reminded me of something King would wear. The tattoo that wrapped around his arm looked like chains.

When our eyes met, he looked familiar.

“Rumor, this is Linc Shephard. Stellan’s brother. He runs the Mississippi branch of the family.”

The eyes. That was it. He had Stellan’s eyes. Although that was where the similarity ended.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry you have hurt men because of me.”

He shook his head. “Not your fault.”

If I had stayed inside, like Sebastian had told me to, then it wouldn’t have happened, but I didn’t have time to argue. I wanted King to sit down. He looked like every step he took was painful.

Linc walked past us toward the room with the other men. Dr. Drew stepped out of the furthest room on the right, followed by Maeme. She was smiling.

“Come this way,” she said.

Dr. Drew gave me a reassuring look as I passed him and stepped into the room.

King didn’t allow more than a few inches of space between us. When he looked at the doctor with a scowl, I realized he was still angry about my checkup. Did he not want the doctor to do this? We needed to check the baby, and I liked Dr. Drew.

“Oh good Lord, King. He delivered you. He’s stitched you up more times than can be counted. Stop acting like he wronged you,” Maeme scolded him. “You’ve already choked him out over it. Let it go.”

I spun around and gaped at King. “You did what?” I asked him, horrified.

He threw one more glare at the doctor before looking at me. “He touched what was mine.”

“I am pregnant, King. He has to check me.”

King flexed his neck and popped his jaw like he was trying to calm down. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Ignore him,” Maeme said. “Lie on the table, Rumor.”

“I’ll also need her to pull her bottoms down just above her pubic line. Can he handle that?” the doctor asked.

“YES,” Maeme declared. “I will handle him. And if this doesn’t work and you need to do an internal one, I will call Stellan and Ronan in here to deal with his crazy ass.”

“Like hell!” King snapped at his grandmother.

She stepped around the table and jabbed his chest with her fingernail. “Do. Not. Speak. To. Me. Like. That. Again.”

To my surprise, King actually simmered down somewhat. I looked between the two of them before climbing onto the table.

King moved past his grandmother to stand beside me, taking my hand in both of his. I lifted my eyes to look up at him. His perfect face was tense as he watched the doctor setting things up.

“You want to pull her pants down for me?” the doctor asked.

King moved then and gently tugged the front of my leggings down, keeping his hand lying flat over my pubic bone as if he was hiding something. If I wasn’t so worried about him taking out the doctor, I would laugh at this behavior.

The doctor glanced at him, then looked at me. “Normally, the gel is cold, but Maeme made sure yours was warmed first,” he said with a smile before he covered my stomach with the clear gel.

I turned my head to the screen as he began the ultrasound. I didn’t know what I was seeing, but I held my breath as I waited until he said something.

A small thudding sound filled the room.

“That’s the heartbeat,” he said with a smile. “Nice and strong.”

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