Page 205 of Beautifully Reckless

Not because hands shoved me so hard from behind, I couldn’t even stop my fall and protect my baby.

Not going into labour at only thirty weeks with no actual nurse and doctors, just men, dressed in black, claiming to be medics, telling me my baby is coming now.

No… This can’t be happening. Something is terribly wrong.

A scream rips from me as sharp, tearing pain slices through my pelvis. A crushing band tightens around it, so incrediblystrong, that I’m forced to pant through it, even though I try to stop myself.

“Okay, Abbey. You need to start pushing. It won’t take much to get this little one out.”

What is he talking about?

There’s a baby about to come out of my bloody vagina! What the hell does he know?!

I want to scream all the words in my head at this stranger, but my body has been possessed by something else, and it’s doing whatever the hell it wants. Because even as I try to fight it, that overwhelming, uncontrollable urge to push, to bear down, rushes through me again, and I heave.

I swear, every single muscle inside me is contracting, forcing pressure down on my pelvis, trying to expel my little baby, far too fragile to leave the safety of my body.

Then, I tense… and the weirdest, most painful sensation I’ve ever experienced explodes between my legs.

“Ouch,fuck!” I scream, agony ripping from my throat as my eyes go so wide, I fear they’re about to pop right out of my skull.

“That’s it. Keep going,” Dylan urges calmly, and my death grip on Ringo’s hand tightens like I’m trying to break bone.

“What the fuck are you talking about?!” I snarl. “How would you like to squeeze this out of your dick?!”

Dylan, just smirks, completely unfazed by my rage, and Ringo leans in, pressing his lips to the back of my hand, trying to calm me.

“You’re doing so good, Angel. You’re so fucking strong.” His voice holds familiar confidence, but when I look into his eyes, all I see is fear.

I bet he feels helplessright now, so I nod, wanting to reassure him that everything is okay, even though I know it isn’t.

Another contraction crashes into me, my strangled scream rips free, just as uncontrollable as the overwhelming need to push.

“Here it comes!” Dylan yells as I push, my scream turning into one long continuous siren before Ringo joins me, his deep, guttural roar drowning out everything but him.

I need to focus on that. On him, because ohhhh shiiit….

White hot burning pain slices through my core, as a hard, round head scrapes my insides and settles between my legs.

I’m panting, breathing so fast I worry I might hyperventilate, but Ringo grounds me, pressing his forehead to mine.

“You’re a fucking warrior, Angel.”

“I’m a warrior,” I whisper back, as hot tears spring from my eyes.

“One more push, Abbey.” Dylan’s voice cuts through our bubble, and we break apart to look at him. “It’s time to meet your baby.”

I nod, already feeling the next contraction building, so… I surrender.

I give myself over to the most natural urge I’ve ever felt, and I push.

It’s fast, nowhere near as agonising as the others, just the strangest feeling of my baby quickly slipping from me.

Relief slams into me, and then... emptiness.

Dylan’s hands move quickly between my legs, and Clive presses a towel down against my exposed skin, as the realisation of what just happened sinks in.

I just gave birth to my baby.

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