Page 83 of A Deceitful Pact

“I’m JJ’s, it’s only right we have a trade-off.” He helps me stand so I can pull them up.

“Do you honestly expect me to be comfortable with that man raising my child if we die?” I automatically hold up my arms so Sawyer can pull a T-shirt over me.

“Darlin’, do you really want to be havin’ this argument right now?”

“You said you’d let me win everyone before they got started. So I figure there is no argument,” I remind him.

“Riley, can you name me someone you know that would protect our baby better than Jace Sullivan?” I cradle her stomach in my hands.

“Well, I guess since you already asked him, it would be rude to take it back.” I shrug, not wanting to admit that he’s probably right.

“Okay, now that we got that sorted, shall we go and have a baby?” he asks.

“Sounds like a good idea.” I nod back at him nervously.

* * *

“What are you doing?” I ask Sawyer when, instead of heading toward the truck, he goes for my patrol car.

“Your waters have already broken, you're contracting every five minutes, and the hospital is two hours away. This is a resource we can use.” He taps the top of the car and throws my hospital bag onto the back seat.

“I’m on maternity leave, I shouldn’t be driving it,” I remind him.

“You're not driving it. I am.” He opens the passenger door for me.

“I know you drove it before, but that's when we had no other option.”

“Just get it.” He helps lower me into the passenger seat and reaches across me to buckle my belt. “And if you could hold on till we get to the hospital, that would be great.” He kisses my cheek and races back round the car so he can get behind the wheel.

“I’ve been waiting for an excuse to use these.” He turns on the sirens and backs off the drive at record speed.

“We arenothaving those all the way to the hospital.” I lean across and turn them off. “You can use themifwe run into traffic or if things get serious and you need to break a speed limi—-ahhhhh!!” I reach up for the door handle when another pain shudders through my body.

“Riley, breathe, just focus on it being over.” He places his hand on my thigh and squeezes. “I’m gonna get you to the hospital, and then you can have whatever drugs you want.”

I rest my head back against the seat when the pain eventually falters.

“We should talk about what happened back there.” I get my breath back and try finding a more comfortable position in my seat.

“Let’s not worry about what happened back there. We know where the girls are, they’re gonna be safe,” he assures me.

“I need to know Jamie and Jace will stick to their word.”

“You got nothin’ to worry about, I promise, now please focus on holding everything in until we get to the hospital.”

“And what about Jack?” I ask. I saw for myself how angry Sawyer was at him for what he was gonna do.

“I’m sorry, baby, but Jack wasn’t part of the deal. I never promised not to kill him.” He smiles at me sadly and rests his blood-stained hand on my belly as he continues to drive. I could tell him that Jack was a Gendry too. I could argue that, for that reason, the deal we made covers him. But looking back and thinking about what the bastard was gonna take from me, I decide that this is an argument I’ll let Sawyer win.

“Sawyer.”

“Yes, Riley?” He turns his head as if he’s expecting me to argue with him.

“Do you like the name Lily?” I look back at him with tears in my eyes when I realise we’re both about to become parents.

“Yeah, darlin’, I love it.” He leans over to kiss me, and I feel his comfort warm my chest and tell me that everything's going to be okay.

He focuses back on the road, and when I feel another contraction start to build, I reach across and press the siren.

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