Page 49 of Forced Pregnant Mate

“How about we take this out the back,” Bae says. “We can talk about this—I’ll make some calls and get the elders together. No decision will be made yet, okay, Lena? You’re involved in this. Jack was just putting ideas out there, and I certainly hadn’t agreed with him yet.”

Lena nods, wrapping her arms around herself and leaning against Gina.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Gina says, rubbing Lena’s arm. “Why don’t we—”

There is a sudden commotion at the door. I hear a flurry of harsh voices—someone rudely telling someone else to get out of the way, followed by a woman’s cruel laughter.

Oh, Jesus, no.

I look over at Lena. Her eyes are fixed on the doorway, wide with fear. I can see her trembling.

The double doors to the bar smack open, hard enough to rattle the glass in the frames. Standing there as if he owns the place and everything in it is Peter Andres, with a wide, satisfied smile stretched across his face.

Chapter 19 - Lena

I’m still reeling in shock after hearing Jack talk with Bailey about stepping down as beta and leaving the pack when I hear the doors swinging open behind me. Gina’s hand on my arm tightens just slightly, and my stomach starts to cramp in the worst way.

It can’t be.

But I know it is.

When I turn around and see my father, it’s like reality melts around me. I feel like I’m lost in a void without air, without solid ground. I got out of that world and all of its pain—now, it has come to find me.

“Lena!” he calls in that honey-sweet voice he uses to manipulate people. “You look so good, my sweetheart. Come and give old Dad a hug.”

Kelly appears behind him, her smirk an ugly smear of red lipstick. Sam is behind both of them, looking over Father’s shoulder with a tense, worried expression.

I take two steps forward, but I don’t run to Father, and I certainly don’t want to hug him.

He just keeps grinning, knowing that I won’t hug him. Like all abusers, he’s excellent at making his victim look like the unstable person.

“Father,” I say, nodding. “It’s good to see you.”

His grin gets wider. He knows damn well it isn’t, but the bar is quite full of people, and Father has what he loves above all else: an audience.

I just want to get to Sam. I can see him standing nervously behind Father, and I want to run over there and grab him and never let him leave my side again. To do that, though, I’d have to go through Father.

He and Kelly start to walk into the room, both of them smiling and looking around. Other patrons in the bar look away, trying to ignore the scene. Sam follows them, his face getting more tense by the second.

“Bailey!” Father exclaims as he approaches us. “How wonderful that you’re here. Just the man I want to see. How about we get a table and discuss a few things, man-to-man. What do you say?”

Bailey has been glaring at them the whole time but with a very controlled expression. I can tell he’s angry, but he’s hiding it so well the rest of the bar patrons don’t notice.

“I believe there are matters we should talk about in private,” Bailey says. “Would you care to come out to the back room where we can discuss our business more securely?”

“Of course,” Father replies in a warm voice. “I’d prefer that. Just you and me. Leave the family out here while we get into the serious nature of things.”

“No,” Bailey says firmly. “Everyone is coming. My mate and my beta come with me—they are always present in discussions. I assume this talk you’d like to have involves your family, so they should come as well.”

Father scowls briefly, unable to hold in his emotions. He looks up at Jack, and a moment of pure disgust flickers across his face.

“Very well,” he says calmly. “As you like. Lead the way.”

Father has recovered quickly, but I can see his emotions are running high. With the right kind of handling, he could explode and completely expose himself.

Then what happens to Sam?

We follow Bailey out the back to a room with a bar on one side and a long table on the other. Bailey takes the seat at the end of the table, and Jack and Gina sit on either side. I scurry to sit down next to Jack. Father and Kelly sit near Gina, making sure Sam is at the end of the line.

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