Page 31 of Condemned Soul

I’m desperate to make all this right before our baby comes into the world. I want to hold it in my arms and make all the same promises to it that I made to Hayley. But I know it’s not a conversation I can have with her right now.

“Shit, they’re really starting to hurt.” She grimaces. “You should go.” Her words not only shock me, but make me fuckin’ furious.

“Are you mad? I’m not leavin’ ya like this.” I stare at her as if she’s lost her mind.

“Jimmer, please, it’s only gonna make things harder.” She doesn’t have the energy to argue, her forehead is beaded with sweat and she looks exhausted already.

“Jo, you’re about to push my baby into the world and you want me to leave?”

“I appreciate you bringing me here and staying with me all this time but you have to go now.” She tenses up when another pain comes. They’re really close together now which I’m sure means the baby will be here soon.

“Jim…” Her face drops when she looks past me toward the door and when I turn around to see what she’s looking at, a rage like I’ve never felt before heats up my veins and makes me go rigid.

“Sweetheart, I got here as soon as I could.” The asshole husband places his briefcase and folded-up raincoat on the chair beside the bed.

“What is he?—”

“Vincent, this is the guy that gave me a ride here.” She gives me that same look she gave me when she was with her folks at the dinner all those months ago and as much as I want to correct her, the desperateness in her eyes and the fact she’s currently delivering my baby gets her a hall pass.

“I had the nurse call my husband while you were in the bathroom earlier.” Joanne smiles at me like I’m just some passing fuckin’ stranger and the bastard who just showed up smirks at me as he places his hand on top of hers.

“Well, it appears I’m in your debt. You can leave now.”

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” I scoff a laugh at him and this whole fuckin’ situation. What Joanne just did was a real sucker punch.

Joanne shakes her head at me helplessly, then cries out when she gets another pain. Vincent-fuckin’-Walker stands beside her and watches her agony with no sign of empathy.

“I think I might speak to that nurse about the drugs.” She looks up at him when it subsides.

“No, you're stronger than that, Joanne. No drugs. You really need to feel this experience.” He looks at me as he speaks, making me suspicious that he knows who I really am. I swear to God if the woman who’s birthing my child wasn’t between us I’d kill the bastard right here.

“Shit, there’s another coming already.” Joanne grips the bed rail looking petrified. “I feel like I need to push.”

“Can we get some help in here?” I call out the door and into the hall before rushing beside her.

“Jimmer.” She shakes her head at me when I try to comfort her and when the nurse rushes in, she takes a second to examine her and smiles.

“This baby is on its way out. I’m afraid one of you is gonna have to leave.” She looks between us, and I stand firm, refusing to not be here for her through this. Vincent doesn’t move either, or seem challenged by the fact a complete stranger is refusing to leave, which I’m taking as a certainty that he does know I’m the father.

“It’s on you, sweetheart.” The nurse looks at Joanne. Whose eyes fall on mine as she pants through her pain like the nurse told her to.

“I want my husband.” She holds my stare and rips the heart right outta my chest at the same time.

I wanna fight. I wanna scream at her and tell her she’s wrong before I beat the fuckin’ brains outta the man on the other side of the bed who she’s selected to raise my kid. But I don’t. Suddenly, I’ve become weak and good for fuckin’ nothin’. I move slowly as I back away from her. Then turning my back, I march down the corridor, hearing her scream in agony and wondering how my whole body can be numb and yet still hurting.

I feel a tear drip over my cheek just from allowing those memories back in my head and I wonder if, despite all she’s done, I’ll ever be able to hate her.

* * *

I pace the floor of the motel room and wait for Consuela, it’s unusual for her to be the one who keeps me waiting and I wonder if this is all part of her game plan. One thing that can’t be denied, is that Agent Consuela is one clever-assed bitch. Her showing up at my club proves she's got balls too. It’s a scary combination and I’m really starting to question what she wants outta me.

“Jimmer.” She opens the door and smiles at me warmly. She’s back to looking like her usual self again. All uptight, professional, and in need of a good fuckin’.

“You shouldn’t have come to the club last night,” I growl at her.

“I don’t think you're the person to be lecturing me on what’s right and wrong.” She rests her ass on the side unit and looks at me expectantly.

“I have somethin’ for ya,” I tell her.

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