Page 94 of Brutal King

My brows pinch together. “Can you please sit down? You’re going to drive me crazy.”

He complies, coming back to me, but I can tell he’s not happy about it.

“I’m six weeks along,” I say. “We have a while to go. Gideon!”

His attention is gone, somewhere far from here. “I have to think. I…” He stands and leaves the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I give Gideon a few hours to calm himself. I’ve had days to think about it, after all. At first, I didn’t notice my lack of period. It wasn’t until the beastly heartburn and nausea that I counted the days and realized just how late I was.

Even then, I couldn’t be sure if it was simply the stress causing the delay. Although, deep down, I knew. I felt her inside me, this weird connection that had me constantly reaching for my lower abdomen.

Sure, I’ve had time. But Gideon doesn’t have the same luxury. I’m not sure he deserves it. He must figure out what he’s going to do now that it’s not just me he’s holding captive.

From his reaction, having a baby isn’t part of his plan either. A newborn and revenge don’t exactly go hand in hand. Does that mean he’ll let me go? If he does, will I be able to return to Briar House? Would Luca allow me back when he finds out I’m carrying Gideon’s child?

Whatever’s about to happen, I need to know.

When my stomach has settled enough, I head downstairs in search of my villainous baby daddy. I find him in his study, staring at the portrait of his father, his brows pinched tightly together.

I stand at the doorway for a long while, watching him, partly because Stephen Black’s portrait gives me the creeps. Even though I’d been dying to investigate the study when I first arrived at Kingsbrook, now that I can, his evil gaze keeps me away.

But mostly, I stand silently because Gideon doesn’t know I’m here. He’s in that place far away, where he goes to when he’spensive. A myriad of emotions cross his face— sadness, fear, worry and other’s I can’t quite read.

“I’m going to be a father,” he says, without turning my way. Guess he did know I was here. “I always assumed I’d die, and it would be over. My line would end. I’ve always been so careful. Until you.”

No. We weren’t careful. Not one bit. And that’s on both of us. He never asked. And I never demanded it. Even though I knew better, I didn’t speak up, always caught up in the storm he swept me into when he touched me.

Sighing, I step inside and sit in the chair across from him. “What do you want to do? Perhaps it’s time I go home and?—”

“If I wouldn’t let you go before, there’s no way in hell I’ll release you now.” He turns to me, his eyes inflexible steel.

“But, you seem?—”

“Like I just received shocking news?” Coming around the desk he stands in front of me. He tugs me up by my arms, holding me tightly against him. “You’re mine, Sofia. That baby, is mine.” Then his lips are on me, on my face, my neck. “I’m not going to let you go. I can’t.”

He’s so desperate in the way he holds me, that I let him. Worse than that, I melt into him. I inhale him as for the first time in a week, I can breathe.

My arms come around him too, and I lay my head on his chest. I was so afraid of what his reaction would be. I agonized, wondering if he would send me away, or keep me. It terrifies me to realize just how relieved I am that he’s chosen the latter.

He’s keeping me. Keeping us. He will never let us go.

That’s when I open my eyes and they instantly fall upon the portrait. Stephen Black stares back at me, cold and calculating. I’m engulfed in that ominous presence that keeps me away from the study most days, even against my own desire to explore.

I. See. You.

24

GIDEON

“I want to see Rowan.” My lower lip quivers as I plead. “Please.”

“We can’t, Gideon. He’s with his family now.”

“We’re his family!” I grabbed Father by the sleeve and cried. “You let him go. Why did you let him go?!”

“One day, when you’re older, you will understand that decisions must be made.”

“I’ll never understand. You let him go. You let him go!” I slammed my small fists against him angrily.

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