Page 48 of Three to Fall

She placed a familiar stick in my hand. One I’d seen only once before, around six years earlier, not long after I’d left Ethereal Eden for the first time. I snapped my head up in surprise.

But Queenie’s eyes were all knowing. “I’ll pick up the pieces after you leave. Love Hayley Jade like she’s my own damn daughter. You know I will. But only if you can prove to me right now you aren’t taking another child back into that hellhole.”

I stared down at the pregnancy test. “I’m not pregnant.”

Her eyes scrutinized me. “Then prove it. I’ve had that in my purse for a week now, knowing this moment was coming, and knowing this would be the only way to stop you from being a fool and sacrificing yourself.”

“I can’t get pregnant,” I insisted, pushing the test back at her. “My husband and I tried for five years, and never once…”

Queenie’s eagle-eyed gaze wouldn’t let up. “Don’t be dumb, Kara. You’re too smart for that. You have a child. You can get pregnant. Maybe the problem was never you but him.”

I shook my head. “His other wives have children. Hayley Jade’s birth was so traumatic, I must have damaged—”

“Or those other women saw what was happening to you and found other ways of getting a baby in their bellies.”

I stared at Queenie. “They would never…”

She shook her head. “People will do anything for self-preservation. If I’d been one of those women, watching you get beat and raped and punished for not giving that man a child, then I would do whatever it took as well. Or maybe it’s just the combination of you and him that didn’t work. I don’t know. But what I do know is I will not stand by and watch another child go through what Hayley Jade did. And I know you won’t either.” She handed the test back to me. “Take the test, Kara.”

13

HAYDEN

The Sinners door closed behind Kara, and I sat up quickly, not wanting her out of my sight. “It’s tonight.”

Hawk blinked sleepily and twisted his head, stretching his arms over his shoulders. “What is?”

“I found her backpack in the back of my truck when I went out to get some supplies earlier. She’s going to do it tonight. I’m sure of it.”

Hawk jerked up off the bed. “Are you for fucking real? And you wait until now to say something?”

“Where exactly do you think she was going when she was impaled on our cocks?”

Hawk glared at me, and I rolled my eyes, dragging on my shirt. “I didn’t want to ruin your party, okay? And I’ve been watching her.”

Grayson got to his feet in a rushed scrabble. “Shit.” He searched around the floor for his clothes, tossing us articles that didn’t belong to him. “I really didn’t want it to come to this. I really hoped she wouldn’t do it.”

Hawk yanked up boxer briefs that I actually thought were mine, but I wasn’t going to complain about in the moment. Wearing his underwear was hardly the worst thing to happen, considering I’d had my mouth all over him just minutes earlier.

“She’s not fucking leaving,” he swore bitterly. “I should have just said that to her.”

I shook my head. “And make yet another decision for her? We did everything we could. Gave her all the reasons to stay.”

“Well, apparently that wasn’t enough, was it?” Hawk was visibly stressed, and I was sure my expression was nearly identical.

Panic coursed through me at the idea of Kara walking out those doors and never coming back.

Gray shot both of us stern doctor sort of looks. “You both need to keep your shit together. You can’t just demand she stays.”

“Yes, I fucking can.” Hawk shoved one foot into his boot.

Grayson bumped his shoulder hard enough to get his attention. “Drop the hothead act. It’s not helping.”

“Well, neither is your shrink bullshit! This was the worst plan ever!”

Hawk was spiraling because of how in love with her he was. We could all see it, but Grayson didn’t have the connection with him to stop it.

I did.

---