Page 30 of The Brotherhood

He sat back, exhaling slowly through his nose. “You need to eat.”

Beth frowned slightly, caught off guard by the command in his tone. Her stomachdidfeel empty, but the moment he said it, something clenched low inside her. Hunger. And yet, she couldn’t imagine eating food. Her fingers curled against the sheets. “I… I can eat,” she said, the words feeling strange in her mouth.

He rose, fluid and controlled, moving toward the small kitchenette in the corner. He removed the black jacket he wore, revealing muscles covered in ink.

She jerked her eyes away, not wanting to get caught looking. He was already clearly suspicious of her, especially now that he knew about her gift. But even with her gaze averted, his lethal frame remained in her mind, as if insisting she figure him out and get to the bottom of why she was here so she could hurryand get out. Every second away from Bishop felt like angry teeth in her body.

She sat up carefully as he set something on the counter. His hands and fingers moved, the veins beneath his skin shifting as he broke the seal on the packaging. The memory of Bishop biting and sucking her bolted through her stomach and she clenched her eyes shut. She fought to breathe through the rush spinning in her body and mind.

God. Please. What was wrong with her?

She stayed hidden behind closed eyes, hearing him approach, wishing he wouldn’t.

“Eat,” he said quietly.

Just take the food. For the baby.

Beth opened her eyes and regarded the tray of noodles, willing her appetite to kick in and help. She reached for it as her stomach did the opposite while her gaze locked onto his hand.

“You okay?” he asked when the tray shook as she brought it to her lap.

“I’ll be okay. I’m just… I miss my husband.”

He turned and she regarded his departure as he walked back to the kitchen. “Then why aren’t you with him?” he muttered at the sink. “Why did you ask to be brought here? Figure that out yet?”

She studied the noodles, the original answers feeling all wrong now.

“What gave you the idea to even request such a thing?”

The quiet question held an agitated perplexity that rolled over her skin.

“Andwhyrequest such anoutrageousthing? Without knowingwhy?”

His bafflement added even more stress to her worn nerves. “I thought I was protecting my friends, for one,” she said, unable to find enough conviction to justify that.

“Fromwhat?”he pushed, facing her.

She met his gaze, pushing back. “Have you seen your soldiers? They cut open the floor of our convoy. I thought they were going to hurt us.”

“My soldiers don’tkillwithout express orders, andonlyagainstthreats.”

She widened her eyes. “Like I couldknowthat! Why did he take me if…” She realized it was a stupid question before lowering her gaze. “I didn’t realize I was… persuading himthatmuch.”

He put his hands on the counter, lowering his head with a sigh, like she was a useless item he didn’t know how to discard.

She stirred the food in the tray, absently. “Iamtrying to understand why I’m here,” she muttered, feeling lost in her own mind as she twirled noodles onto the fork. Tears welled in her eyes and dropped right into her dish as pain spread hot and thick through her chest till she had to gasp for air.

Seeing him approach, she warded him away with a shake of her head. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “Just… pregnancy hormones.” She swallowed hard, setting the food down. “Is it possible for me to… borrow a shower?” she asked, ready to be alone.

She waited in the silence now stretching between them. “Yes,” he finally said, his tone almost gentle. “You’re not a prisoner.”

Tell that to her chaotic mind. She got up and brought her food to the kitchen, getting intercepted by him. He took the tray, and she crossed her arms over her belly. “I want to be here as much as you want me to be,” she assured quietly.

He turned and she watched him walk to a door and open it. “The shower is in here.” He lowered his gaze over her. “I’ll find suitable clean clothes for you.”

She nodded, lowering her gaze. “Thank you.”

He turned to leave. “You can manage?” he asked at the door.

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