Page 5 of Desperation

The color drained from her face, and her eyes went round.

“Who’s your cousin?”

“Drake Wilder.”

Chapter Four

Hannah

I was fucked. This man, who seemed so caring and concerned, was related to the devil himself. I was foolish to think he’d ever help me. He would probably tell Drake everything. He wouldn’t lie to his own flesh and blood for me.Would he?

“How do you know Drake?” he asked, his eyes pleading. What they were pleading for, I didn’t know.

“He’s my boyfriend,” I admitted, trying to hide my grimace. There was a time I would’ve been proud to say that. Back when his hands brought only pleasure, never pain. Back when he told me how beautiful I was, not how worthless I am.

Now, it was like wearing a scarlet letter. Ironic since I was also carrying his child. Don’t ask me how that happened, or why I would let a man who didn’t think twice about hurting me into my bed. Sometimes, when you’re all alone and isolated from the rest of the world, you’ll take any affection you can get. When you haven’t felt love and tenderness from another human being since childhood, those few hugs and gentle caresses were a brief reprieve from the cold distance you felt from everyone else. Besides, Drake could be very persuasive. When he wanted you, he made you feel special, like the most important person in the world.

The low growl coming from the man standing on my porch snapped me back to the present. Had I just imagined that?

“Where is he?” His voice was gruff and his jaw tight. He looked angry, but I couldn’t tell where his anger was directed. Or at whom.

“He went on a fishing trip with his dad.” Thank God. That got both of them out of my hair. I wasn’t a big fan of Sheriff Wilder. He was just as bad as his son, maybe even worse considering how much power he held. I shuddered at the memory from the day he showed me just how powerful he was. He was the sole reason I couldn’t go to the police over Drake. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“When will he be back?”

“Saturday.”

He cursed and turned his back to me, running his fingers through his hair. His cool, calm demeanor was cracking. The man had practically been stoic the whole time I spent with him today. Why was he so shaken now?

“Do you want me to let him know you stopped by?” He glanced at me over his shoulder and shook his head.

“No,” he replied quickly. He almost sounded ... guilty?

He took a second to collect himself, and when he finally turned back to me, that cool mask of indifference was back in place. “I’ll be back tomorrow to pick you up. Be ready by two.” He headed for his truck, and I panicked. For some reason I felt like I was losing him, even though I never had him in the first place.

“Wait!” I shouted. He paused and looked back at me. My face heated, and I lowered my voice. “I didn’t get your name.”

“Devon,” he answered simply. No last name, just one word. It was probably best that way, but for some reason, I was disappointed. I watched his truck pull onto the street and head back the way we came before going back inside. He would be back tomorrow. I just had to make it through the rest of today and hope that Drake didn’t come home early.

* * *

I woke up the next day feeling like I had hardly slept. I was barely in my third trimester, and already my restless legs and constantly squished bladder were waking me up what seemed like every half hour. Swinging my feet over the edge of the bed, I inspected my ankles. They still looked pretty normal. I was hoping they didn’t get all puffy like some of the women I saw in the waiting room at the clinic.

I guzzled down a cool glass of water with my vitamins and set to work preparing breakfast. I’d never really thought much about what I ate before but had become more concerned about nutrition since finding out I was pregnant. I wanted my baby to be healthy, to give him the best start that I could, so I sliced fresh fruit every morning and boiled a couple eggs, swapping out white bread with a whole grain variety for toast. Once I was finished, I cleaned up my mess and headed outside to tend to my flowers. It was already hot, but the day would only get more stifling, so I had to do my outside chores early.

All morning, Devon’s handsome face infiltrated my thoughts. The harder I tried to push them away, the more insistent they became. He was a mystery. The way he watched me, it felt like he could see straight into my soul. For a moment, I was afraid he would see everything. Then he came to my door and saw my face without the cover of my sunglasses. If he had his suspicions before, the fading discoloration around my eye confirmed them.

But what would he do about it?

Nothing, I hoped. If he said anything to Drake, I would pay for it. He would think I told. The best thing Devon could do was keep his mouth shut and go away.

My heart felt otherwise.

Stupid organ.

All it did was get me in trouble. After all, it did lead me to Drake.

When I finally came inside, face and body slickened with sweat and dirt under my nails, I was exhausted. After a long soak in a tepid bath, I laid down for a nap. Devon wouldn’t be here for a couple more hours, and I was due for some much-needed rest.

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