Page 31 of Make Me Your Hitta

We arrived at the nearest twenty-four-hour pharmacy, parking a safe distance away to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. I pulled up the hood of a black jacket and hopped out, hoping to blend in with the night’s shadows. Once inside the store, I asked Adonis to find me some Ibuprofen while I quickly located the aisle with the feminine products. Luckily, the pregnancy tests shared the same shelves. My eyes scanned all the options, hands trembling as I grabbed one and tucked it underneath my armpit.

With the test hidden underneath the boxes of tampons I knew I probably didn’t need, I headed toward the counter, avoiding direct eye contact with the night shift cashier.

Adonis approached me midway. “I got the Ibuprofen.”

“Toss it on the counter. I’ll be done in a minute,” I told him.

He stepped away, allowing me to purchase my goods in peace. After shoving the plastic shopping bag into my purse, we hurried back to the car, and Adonis drove us back to the mansion. My nerves were on ten the entire way home, anticipating what would happen after I took the test.

“I’m going back to bed,” I announced as soon as we stepped back into the mansion.

Adonis nodded, and I felt his hand on my lower back as he guided me toward my room. I tried to ignore the warmth that spread from his touch. Back in my room, I locked myself in the bathroom and paced like a caged animal. My mind was a mess, replaying every moment with him. The way he looked at me, the concern in his voice. It was driving me up a fucking wall.

I sat on the edge of the closed toilet seat, the plastic box feeling as heavy as a boulder in my hands, despite its weightlessness. What would he do if the test was positive? He was already overbearing enough. Adding a baby to the mix would mean I’dneverget a chance to breathe. But then again, I was happy to be potentially carrying the heir of someone I loved instead of having to endure some old, wrinkled man climbing on top of me and forcing me to have his babies.

“Fuck, I’m too nervous to take it tonight. Maybe I’ll do it in the morning,” I mumbled.

I glanced at my phone; it was still early morning, and the first rays of sunlight wouldn’t show for hours.Maybe I’ll sleep on it.

“No. I have to know now.”

My chest inflated with a deep breath as I stood up, my legs turning to mush. The sound of the box ripping opensomehow seemed enhanced in the stillness. My eyes pinged from left to right across the unfolded paper, carefully reading the instructions. After all, it was my first time. I followed the steps to a T, trying my best to keep my mind from going down the rabbit hole of thoughts swirling around in my head. After what felt like an eternity of waiting to pee, I placed the test on the edge of the sink and sat on the closed toilet seat, waiting for the longest three minutes of my life. What would I do if it turned up positive? How would I tell Adonis? My father?

There was a knock at the door while the timer on my phone sounded off. I jumped, feeling like a jittery mess.

“Yeah?” I called out.

“You good?” Adonis inquired.

“Yeah,” I lied. “I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”

I drew a lungful of air and stood to my feet, slowly approaching the edge of the sink as my heart hammered away. I closed my eyes and picked up the test. My lids blinked open, and I stared at the results window. Two lines appeared, visible and sharp. Positive.

Fuck.

Pregnant? Me? A baby with Adonis? The son of my family’s enemy?

A part of me fluttered with the excitement of creating a new life with the only man I’d ever loved. Still, there was also an unexpected ache of disappointment and fear—fear of what would happen when our world found out about our child, the protection that would entail, and the responsibility to keep someone other than myself alive.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I muttered as an emotional storm overtook me.

I pushed out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and flopped back down on the closed toilet seat, my mind spiraling faster than I could process. I couldn’t help but thinkabout the future and all the changes to come. I hadn’t expected motherhood to be the next chapter in my life, but the universe was funny like that sometimes.

I must’ve dozedoff at some point because the next thing I knew, I was jolted awake by a commotion outside. Shouts and curses echoed through the halls, sending my heart into overdrive.

I scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over my feet as I rushed to the door. My hand hesitated on my stomach for a second before I yanked the door open, curiosity overriding caution.

“Twenty-two-seven-fourteen.” I mumbled the code to the panic room as I descended the staircase.

The sight that greeted me at the bottom made my blood run cold. In the middle of the foyer, there was a bloody mess of… something. It took my brain a moment to process what I saw, and when it did, I felt my stomach lurch. It was a human head. Mutilated, eyes gouged out, with a knife sticking out of its skull. A piece of paper was pinned to it, words scrawled in what looked disturbingly like blood: “You’ll pay for your sins, Guardian. You’re next.”

“What the fuck?” I whispered, my hand flying to my mouth.

Adonis was there, as always, his face a mask of controlled fury as he barked orders at the security team. His eyes met mine briefly, and I saw a flicker of concern.

“Get everyone inside, now!” he commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Seal all entrances. No one in or out without my say-so.”

I had one job—get to the panic room. Yet, I stood there, frozen, as people rushed around me. The air felt thick and suffocating, and I was overloaded with fear and anger.

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