Page 69 of City of Wind and Lies

"Yeah," I answer, tugging out of his grip.

"C'mon, let's get back to our table," Drea says, tipping her head.

I clock Dallas stalking towards us, but I only make it a few more steps before a hand clamps down on my shoulder and jerks me around.

"When were you gonna tell me you were having my kid?" Trey spits.

And now it's my turn to scoff. "It's not yours."

The jab he landed with his words just a minute ago has flipped around and reversed itself into a smoldering fire building in my belly.

Trey isn't as stupid as he looks, and I see the flicker of recognition in his eyes. "God, don't tell me it's his. You're screwing your boss?"

"You screwed the neighbor, so it's no longer any of your damn business what I do with my body. Now, if you'll excuse me," I say, taking a step to the side, shaking my head at Dallas who is hovering close. "I'd like to get back to my friends."

"You know he's in the mob, right?"

I freeze. But not because Trey's words shock me like he intended them to, but because I want to know how he knows.

Pivoting on my heels, I twist around and fold my arms across my chest. "And how do you know that?"

His lips part, and for a beat, no sound comes out.

"Doesn't matter," he shakes his head. "So, what'd he pay you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Y'know, you get knocked up. He gets an heir, keeps his throne… what's in it for you?"

"What in the actual fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, fuck. You didn't get anything?" He chuckles, scrubbing a hand down his face. "Didn't know you were that desperate for some semblance of family."

I ignore the pang of hurt in my chest, knowing that Trey is just trying to cut me down with his words. It's what he does, but this doesn't feel like one of his schemes.

"Fuck off, Trey."

"You should renegotiate,” he suggests, glancing down at my belly. “Looks like you've still got time."

"Okay, I'll bite," I throw my hands up in an exasperated sigh. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about here."

"I thought you were smarter than this, Wren. You don't even know how valuable you actually are for once."

"You're just wasting my time. You don't know shit."

"Maybe I am. Or maybe the word on the street is that Bowie's old man put pressure on him to settle down and have a kid or he'd have to pass his title at the end of the year."

Just like he hoped, Trey's managed to sucker punch me in the gut with this reveal. Bile creeps up my throat as Gabriel's words from dinner echo in my head.

This was just a coincidence, right? You can't purposely knock someone's IUD loose and knock them up. But it could be the reason he wants anything to do with me. Maybe this is why he's happy about the baby, not that it's with me, but that he lucked into a fail-safe to secure his position.

I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek until the metallic taste of blood coats my tongue to keep the hurt I'm feeling from being broadcast across my face.

"Whatever," I say with a roll of my eyes. "Bye Trey."

"You okay?" Drea asks, draping an arm over my shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

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