Page 33 of Firedrake Betrayal
Whatever it is, he can’t have Jade.
Patten stops smiling, and Isaiah pushes himself to his feet. “I’ll get the map the owner left. It might be helpful to know exactly how small this town is.”
9
JADE
On the hours-long flight to Oklahoma, I gnaw on my thumb as I think long and hard about how to say what I need to say.
Dominik bonding us. My pregnancy. Dominik’s betrayal.
And in what order? If I choose the wrong one, I might not get another chance to correct my mistake before all hell breaks loose.
I barely slept last night. All I did was think, and I’m still no closer to figuring it out.
Early this morning, I’d nearly tumbled head over the mountain of bags when I opened my bedroom door, determined to remind Dominik that we were still leaving for Wilkerson.
I’d had serious doubts he would agree to something he clearly had been so resistant to. Other than the mountain of shopping bags, I’d gotten my second and biggest surprise.
Dominik, in a pair of navy pants and a matching blue shirt, standing at the window, hands stuffed into his pockets, peering into the distance as the sun rose over the skyline.
From his slightly red eyes when he peered over his shoulders, he’d probably gotten as much sleep as I had.
And then his gaze had dipped to my ridiculous cream and lace silky night dress.
Because he had been paying a distracting amount of attention to my body, I hadn’t thought to argue when he told me to pick an outfit to wear on the plane. And that he had sent someone up to do our packing for us.
Apparently, owning a fancy penthouse means the concierge will arrange for someone to pack your bags for you. Who knew?
I’d showered and slipped into a pair of ankle-length, tailored cream pants, an oversized blue blouse and a pair of navy Chanel ballet pumps. The assistant must have picked them all out for me because I don’t recall trying them on at the store.
While I’d been sitting in the back of Dominik’s car, painfully aware of the arm he had slung behind me, the boutique assistant must have been going to town with Dominik’s credit card. But for my benefit.
Leaving his apartment hadn’t taken long with someone doing the packing. Under an hour after I dragged my half-tired ass out of bed, we were riding the elevator down to the lobby.
Like the night before, a sleek, black car with tinted windows had been waiting for us outside. As I climbed into the back seat, Dominik told me that the concierge had arranged for our suitcases to be packed in the trunk while I’d been dressing.
I had refused breakfast because of what I need to tell Shep, Patten, and Isaiah. And because of my dad.
There’s no way my churning belly could have handled any food.
Now, as we make our approach to the nearest private airport to Wilkerson, Oklahoma, Dominik is as calm as he was when we first climbed in.
Does he know that if my dad doesn’t kill him, then Isaiah and Patten will?
Shep might delay clawing his face off long enough to find out if he has a reasonable excuse for snatching me up and leaving them to deal with Atticus.Especiallyafter they went into the compound to save him. But I’m not hopeful.
And when I tell them that Dominik forced a bond on me…
Maybe I should start with the news that I’m pregnant.
That technically wasn’t his fault though Dad will want to kill him for that the most.
But the bonding thing…
And the kidnapping…
I chew on my nail as my throbbing head warns a migraine is on its way.
