Page 26 of Savage Reign

What the hell?

I looked around the bed, as if I could find traces of him left behind, when I knew I wouldn’t be able to. He wasn’t careless.

Fuck, had they found me?

My heart beat wildly inside my chest, and I tried to think about what it would mean.

Did I actually think I could successfully run away from them?

That first day, I did believe it. Somehow, in my panicked and hurt-filled mind, I had thought the best decision was to leave, and arrogantly, I thought being one of the millions of people in the state, I might actually succeed. But now… I felt stupid for even thinking it.

What was worse was that I didn’t feel fear or disappointment for having been found, but…

I shook my head.

I wasn’t going to try to dissect my own messed-up feelings when it came to the brothers.

Slowly, I got out of the bed and waited for the morning sickness to hit. When I didn’t feel anything, I walked over to the bathroom and got ready for my day. That was another thing I would have to worry about.

Telling the brothers I was pregnant. I could just imagine how the conversation would go. How they would react. If they were restrictive now, how much worse would it be when they found out I was carrying the possible Tiernan heir?

Fuck, but I didn’t want the cage to get smaller.

I panicked a little and briefly entertained the thought of running away again, but I knew now they would find me. They would always find me, and I was tired of fighting.

I didn’t want to do it anymore.

I just… I just wanted to feel safe.

I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then, I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked a little better. Whatever bug I had caught last night seemed to have gone away after one night of rest. Or perhaps it was just my body adjusting to the pregnancy.

I pinched my cheeks to give myself some color, and after dressing, I left the room in search of some breakfast. If they found me, I didn’t need to concern myself too much with my dwindling funds. It wasn’t like money would be my biggest issue. A small weight lifted, and I felt a little better from the thought. I tried not to think about how comfortable I was getting over the idea of being caged once more.

I got out of the motel room and looked around. Now that I knew they were here—or at least 95 percent sure they found me—I couldn’t help but look at my surroundings differently.

Were they watching me? Where were they staying?

My eyes automatically moved to the two rooms on either side of me. I had neighbors when I first rented out the room. Loud ones. That all stopped about two days ago. I assumed they all moved out. But at the same time? I went left to one of the rooms and stood in front of the door, hesitating. What would I do if one of the brothers showed up in front of me right now? Was I ready to face them?

I swallowed nervously and rubbed my sweaty hands down the sides of my thrift store jeans. They didn’t fit me well. In fact, none of my clothes fit me. I looked… frumpy.

Stupid.

I shouldn’t care what they think.

I brought my hand up and knocked on the door. The first knock was weak and pathetic, showing my uncertainty. The second was a little louder, and the third was much better. My knocks were out of rhythm, and I wasn’t even sure if my guess was correct.

I held my breath while waiting, but when my lungs started to hurt and I was forced to take a deep breath, I realized no one was coming to the door.

Relief mixed in with my disappointment. I walked away, trying to shake off the conflicting feelings. My stomach grumbled as I walked off the steps and into the parking lot. I was eating for two now, so I should probably eat. My hand curved around my stomach, trying to see how I felt, but other than being more tired than usual and the occasional morning sickness, I didn’t feel pregnant. The concept still didn’t feel real to me.

How was I supposed to be a mother?

The question plagued me for most of the morning, especially when I got into town and started to notice just how many… mothers there were. How had I not noticed this before? Or was today just special, as if God was reminding me of mysituation.

I turned away when a little girl with a daisy in her hand ran toward her mother, a bright smile on her face. My heart hurt from the sight, and I walked to the same diner I had been in before. I liked their breakfast selection, though it really wasn’t anything special compared to Rachel’s cooking.

And now I was missing the Tiernan’s home.

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