Page 95 of Unexpected Delivery

Chapter Thirty-Four

Arbor

Morris keeps me clutched to his chest, like if he holds me firmly enough, he can protect me from all of this. His coffee scent is tart, betraying his anxiety or maybe anger. I’m too frazzled to pick up on exactly what each of them is feeling in the bond.

I’m pretty numb.

I can’t believe Adam hacked my email. It was the one thing I never gave him the password to. It dawns on me way too late that my cell phone was on his plan. He probably ordered a new phone with my old number to see if he could track me through any incoming texts. That email must still have my old phone number listed as a recovery option.

I made a completely new email for the phone I got with Hael, but I filled out that paperwork before we went to the wireless store.

And I thought I was so careful. A shiver runs down my spine. This day was always going to come. I just wasn’t prepared for it to be quite this soon.

The front door opens and closes.

Briar steps up beside me, but I’m still wrapped up in Morris’s arms. She keeps her voice soft and says, “That’s Keir. He’s got your dickhead ex under control. Don’t stress.” She pats my arm, and Morris growls.

At first, I think he’s growling at her, but he pulls me out of the way as a very tall man drags Adam into the room with a hand on his shoulder.

That has to be Keir. He yanks out a chair and shoves Adam into it before I can decide if I’m mentally prepared to see Gracie’s dad.

Adam looks like shit.

There’s no way to tell which one of them was responsible for beating the hell out of him, but both eyes are swollen, and there’s dried blood on the gag and on his cheek. His long sleeve shirt is ripped under the arm, all the way down the side, and I’m pretty sure his ribs are bruised too.

I don’t feel sorry for him in the least.

His hands are tied in front of him, but he uses his feet to push off as he tries to escape the chair.

There’s a heavyset older woman on the other side of the table. I’ve never seen her before, but she glares at Adam as he shoves the table into her chest in his attempt to escape.

Keir growls, grabbing Adam by the back of the neck. He hurls him into the chair and gets close to his ear, whispering something I can’t hear.

“Well, that choice was made for us. Arbor, feel free to leave at any time. We can always grab your signature after the fact.” Easton walks around the table, wraps his hand around the back of Adam’s neck, and slams his face into the table.

I jolt and gasp before I can hold back the sound.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Morris says to me. “They can handle this. You don’t need to see it.”

No, I probably don’t…but Iwantto.

I think I do, at least.

I’m not sure if that makes me a bad person, but I just don’t care. That man tortured me—emotionally, financially, spiritually, physically. In all ways. He tormented me until I felt like I had no choice but to escape.

When I first got to Maine, I convinced myself that it wasn’t that bad. I had bigger things to focus on, but being with Morris, Hayes, and Hael, I’ve seen how Adam conditioned me to do what he wanted. I missed so many things, or I blocked it out. That way, I didn’t have to face the truth of how bad it had gotten.

And I’ve always known it wasn’t great.

I remember how scared I was—terrified enough to run halfway across the country at almost full term with no support system.

“Not yet,” I say, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “I want to see this.”

Morris sighs, holding me even tighter. I swear it feels like he has the power to keep me together with just his love. Almost like he shoves his strength into my cracks to keep me standing.

“I was going to let Adam continue to live out his pathetic existence as long as he stayed put,” Easton says, shoving Adam’s face against the table and grinding his cheek in. “But you didn’t stay in Arizona. Did you, Adam?”

Adam wails, but he’s gagged.

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