Page 104 of Seizing Control: Part Two

“I shouldn’t’ve said that, baby. I didn’t mean it. I love you and our kids to death...” Hearing the words I’ve wanted for months falling from my husband’s mouth is painful. Agony ripples through my midsection. I find myself thinking how it’s too little, too late, even as Slash expands on his excuses. “Me and Lazarus are gonna pull together—we talked about it... but I’m just scared you’ll realise that I ain’t good enough for you... that you’ll leave me.”

Slash closes the distance between us.

I scan his face with wild eyes.

“Give me another chance, duchess.” His ice-coloured gaze flashes with grief as he takes in my obvious distress. “Please, wife... I need you. I love you.”

Even though Slash isn’t the man I begged to return to me, the hope that catches fire in my veins doesn’t recognise that. As always, because I love them differently but equally, being within my husband’s orbit is enough to quell the fear crashing through me as my vision begins to fade in and out.

I blink.

Accept his outstretched hand.

We stare at each other with unspoken love and regret in our eyes.

For a second, everything feels normal.

I am ready to throw myself into his embrace.

Then I sway on my feet.

“Baby?”

Before I can respond, pain rips through me like a wildfire being pushed along by a cyclone.

It steals my breath as a keening sound erupts from my mouth.

Bending in half, I shake from head to toe.

Warm wetness runs down my inner thighs.

I look down at my feet.

Blood stains my light-blue leggings all the way to my ankles.

I glance up at Slash.

His face is white.

The stars in the night sky burst.

My vision turns black.

The world tilts.

The ground rushes up to meet me...

20

SLASH

Pacing back and forth in the hospital room, I crush my phone in my hand. I know that I need to make the call, that I need to let Lazarus know what’s happened to his Lily, but I can’t bring myself to do it. My wife’s current condition remains unknown. The babies cut out of her body in the operating theatre were rushed away before I could see them. My sole boon is that Nadia currently stands guard over them like their personal avenging angel.

With the babies emergency arrival, I’m a father of three.

Babies.

Plural

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