Page 31 of Hers to Control

He runs a hand through his hair. “We need to trust that Gianna will handle things with Mikhail’s father. Then the Russians will lose interest in you.”

He sounds as unconvinced as I feel.

“So, what do we do now?”

Eric’s eyes run down my body and heat tingles under my skin.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

“No,” I say flatly, and Eric’s mouth actually twitches into a smile. As if he would enjoy my resistance.

Damn, he’s still holding a grudge because I tried to run away. A strange shiver runs down my back. Would he take his anger out on me in that way?

I’m sitting there, my thighs pressed together, trying to make sense of what fucked up childhood trauma has me getting wet at the idea of Eric forcing himself on me, but he just shrugs and comes over to take my breakfast plate. Then he walks away from me, as if there hadn’t been a shit-load of tension between us a few seconds ago.

As he washes our dishes, he says, “We need to get you seen by a doctor.”

I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

“You’re pregnant,” he growls, as if that’s enough of an explanation.

“Which isn’t a disease.”

“You got beat up by those fucking Russians.” Now Eric straightens. “Fuck, I should have brought you to see someone right away.”

Leaving the wet dishes sitting on the counter, he comes toward me, as if planning on dragging me to the next clinic right away.

A moment of worry rushes through me. Is Peanut okay? Did I neglect my little baby by not getting medical attention? Then my intuition calms me.

“I didn’t get any bleeding, and no one hit my stomach. I didn’t even fall all that hard. Plus, Peanut is still tiny. I’m sure he or she is fine. There isn’t much they do during the first trimester, anyway.”

“Peanut.” Eric’s face looks slightly appalled but then smooths into something that almost resembles a smile.

I blush. “It’s just a nickname.”

He gives a curt nod. “Fine. Peanut it is.”

No. It’s not fine.The voice inside my head yells. He shouldn’t claim any parts of my baby, not even Peanut’s nickname, and yet, at the same time, the way he says it has something inside of me weakening in a way it never did before.

I stomp that feeling down as hard as I can.

“I’m still taking you to see a doctor.”

“You don’t get to make that decision.”

“Just watch me.”

Grabbing the car keys, he turns and walks to the bedroom, leaving me alone in the main room of the cabin, stewing over his words.

Eric is so damn sure of himself. If he knew the kinds of things I’m capable of when pushed into a corner, maybe he wouldn’t be so dismissive.

The memory of carrying the lifeless body of a Russian flashes in my mind, but I push it away, instead surveying the room. That was a long time ago.

My eyes fly to the bookcase that I know conceals a staircase down to the basement, though I’ve never been down there. From my last time being here, I know Gianna has it set up as a sex dungeon. It’s where she kept Mikhail when they first met. If you can call kidnapping someone a meeting.

My curiosity gets the better of me, and I get up to inspect the bookcase. I run my hands over the sides and pull out books atrandom to see if one of them works as a hatch the way it always does in old movies. No luck.

From the back room, I hear Eric on the phone. Probably reporting to Gianna. I ignore him.

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