Page 42 of Hendrix

“You knew I always wanted kids,” I reminded him gently.

He nodded because he did know that, the same way I always knew he’d never give them to me, a fact I discovered when my period was ten days late and I told him I needed to take a pregnancy test. He proceeded to inform me he didn’t want to be a dad, and then I didn’t see him for six weeks, even though the test was negative.

I found out from Cara and Layla that he’d disappeared to Virginia and neglected to inform me he was moving away to start a new club, thus ending our relationship.

Asshole.

“Look, we gotta get outta here. My boys have your ol’ man contained downstairs, and the Feds will be storming the place any minute. I don’t want you around that bullshit.”

My head reared back, and a frisson of fear ran down my spine. “Antoni’s here? Did he see you? I assumed he was out, and you’d managed to sneak in.”

Hendrix grimaced. “Well...”

I let out an audible sigh, holding a hand up to stop his big mouth from talking and pissing me off even more than he already had. “Save it. I don’t want to argue, especially since I’m thankful you’ve come for me.” My voice took on a pleading quality. “I know we need to talk, but now’s obviously not the time. Can we please just leave?”

He jerked his chin, his eyes cold as they rested on my stomach. “I’ll go back downstairs and finish up. Break will bring you down when you’re ready. Move your ass. We need to get the fuck outta here before the cops make a nuisance of ‘emselves.”

My eyebrows pulled together. “Why would the cops come? Did you call them?”

Hendrix’s face hardened, and he snapped, “For once, Anna, can you do as I ask and stop asking inane shit?”

That one landed deep in the heart. “Right,” I murmured, my wounded tone conveying how much Jamie’s words stung. I turned my back on him and moved toward my bed, where I’d left my clothes while I washed up. “Give me two minutes, and I’ll?—”

“What the fuck’s that on your neck?” he barked.

My body locked.

Shit.

“Driiix,” Breaker drew the word out, warning in his tone.

I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to block out the sound of the ensuing scuffle and muffled curses. Breaker muttered something and then I tensed as gentle hands rested on my shoulders, and soft lips touched the bruised skin of my nape.

“When?” he breathed in my ear from behind.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wasn’t tearful because my husband had beaten me. The reason I felt like sobbing was that, for the first time in months, somebody had touched me with love and care. Having that back, even fleetingly, made me realize how much I’d missed it.

“Last night,” I whispered.

“Has it happened before?” he asked.

I shook my head. “You know that’s a hard line for me.”

“Yeah,” he muttered. I closed my eyes again as soft fingertips trailed over the discoloration on my neck. “Have you seen a doctor?”

I shook my head again. “He wouldn’t let me, but I seem okay. My son’s been kicking the hell out of me all day. I still want to check on things, though, so I’ll contact Sophie the minute I get home.”

“Son?”

“Yeah.” I smiled fondly. “My boy.”

“Right,” he responded tightly, the hardness creeping back into his tone. “Congrats, babe. Know this is what you always wanted.” His hands fell from my shoulders, and my heart withered at the loss of his warmth. “Move your ass, Anna. We gotta jet.”

I felt him move away, and I couldn’t stop my neck from craning to watch him leave. My stare swept down his back, taking in the broad width of his shoulders and the muscles rippling under his tight black shirt as he stalked away from me.

I’d always loved Jamie’s back. I used to wake up early and turn over in bed just to study it. He reminded me of a Roman statue carved by the gods. His body was a pure work of art, perfectly inked and perfectly proportioned.

I got a good look at his back the last time I saw him, too. But then, I guess that was always the last thing you got from somebody when they walked away.

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