Page 5 of Awakening

Anger rises in my chest and bubbles to the surface, but my pregnancy bladder is pleading with me. “May I use the bathroom, Ian?”

He raises his eyebrows and tilts his head. “You forgot to say please.”

“Please,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Sure, go ahead,” he says with a shrug. I yank my wrist away from him, walking to the bathroom and closing the door behind me. “Make it fast,” he yells from the other side of the door. “You have a visitor.”

A visitor? Who the hell could he possibly be talking about? Is it actually possible that someone found me? No. Ian would never willingly allow anyone looking for me to get close, even if they did find me. The only reason Ian doesn’t just get it over with and kill me is that toying with me is half the fun for him. I wash my hands and open the bathroom door to find Ian standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips.

“What, now?” I ask, crossing my arms and dreading whatever he has planned.

“Come on in,” he yells over his shoulder.

The door opens and my mouth drops in shock when he walks in. “Colin? What the hell are you doing here?”

Colin rushes over to me, places his hands on my upper arms, and looks me over. “Olivia, are you okay?”

Okay? No, I’m fucking furious. “Answer me. What the hell are you doing here? Are you in on this?”

“I’ll let you two get reacquainted,” Ian says. “Remember what I said, Burke. My rules.” He walks out, locking Colin and me inside alone.

“Did you help him do this to me?” I ask, feeling the bile rising in my throat.

Holding his hands up in front of him, Colin says, “Just calm down, Olivia.”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “I will not fucking calm down! I want to know why the hell you’re here.” Colin crosses his arms and looks at the floor. “Answer me! Why are you here? Are you working with him?”

“No. I mean—not exactly.” He pulls his hands down his face and blows out a deep breath. “He found me in the parking lot of the club. He said he could help me get my life back with you.”

I shake my head. “Well, he’s lying. Ian is a disgusting, evil man. He’s Ethan’s cousin, and he hates him. You probably know that by now, though, don’t you?” Colin just stares at me with guilt written all over his face. “The only thing Ian cares about is torturing my fiancé.”

“Wait, did you say fiancé? Are you engaged to that fucking Ethan guy?” he asks as genuine hurt spreads across his handsome face.

I nod. “Yes. Ethan and I are engaged.”

Colin’s shoulders sink with defeat. “You didn’t waste any fucking time, did you?”

“You don’t have a lot of room to talk,” I say, shaking my head. “Ethan and I are very much in love. And yes, he is my fiancé, and—” I cover my face with my hands, feeling the tears coming to the surface again.

He touches my arm with genuine concern. “Olivia, what is it?”

Removing my hands from my face, I say, “I’m pregnant.”

He takes a step back, seeming to notice my protruding stomach for the first time. “Pregnant? Wow.” He drags his hands down his face. “Ian left out that detail.”

“You have to listen to me, Colin. You don’t know who you’re dealing with. You don’t want to get more involved with Ian than you already have. I need your help. I need you to help me get out of here. He’s drugging me. He wants to kill my baby, and then I’m probably next.” I immediately see the doubt on his face.

“Olivia—”

“Just listen. Please. We don’t have time to mess around. My baby’s life is in danger. We’re having a girl, Colin. A sweet, innocent, little girl. You have to help me.”

“I don’t think he wants to kill you or your baby, Liv.”

“I know this is a lot to take in, but you know me. You have to listen to me. I need your help,” I say through my tears.

He guides me over to sit on the mattress as he kneels in front of me, taking my hand. “Olivia, I do want to help you. Okay? I do.”

“Colin—”

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