Page 62 of Straight, No Chaser
Freezing. Alone. Trapped.
I jerk awake, clawing out of the deep sleep swallowing me. Fighting with the sheets tangled around my legs, strangling my movements. My racing pulse slows when I catch sight of her on the balcony. My t-shirt hanging on her petite frame like a dress. Signifying her decision to stay, physically and mentally.
Climbing out of bed, I hustle to her and slide my hands around her tiny waist. Welcoming her body leaning back to meet my embrace. I press a gentle kiss to the velvet skin on her shoulder. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just thinking. We’ve been so broken and now…”
“What?” Terror rages through me from her cracking voice, and I spin her around. Blond strands flitting through the air from my force. I need to be fucking gentle, but when something hurts her I’ve got to fucking find out what it is. “Why the fuck are you crying?”
She winces under my forceful grip on her arms. Pulling her up to her tip toes so I can see her face better.
"I'm pregnant."
Pregnant.
My angel’s pregnant.
I swear to fucking god the world stops. No movement or sound. Except for my damn phone blaring from the nightstand. Yet I can’t comprehend anything but her sobs. Can’t see anything but the misery darkening her tear-streaked face.
"You’re not happy? You don’t want it?"
Which I will never let fucking happen. Anger tightens my grasp, and I have to fucking check myself not to lose absolute control. I will keep her fucking prisoner if I have to before I’ll let her destroy our happiness.
"Of course I do!"
A fierceness I’ve never heard before thunders in her voice, and she attempts to yank away from me. Pissed that I would accuse her while relief unfurls my fingers from her delicate arms. But I still don’t let her go. I’ll never fucking let her go. “Then what?”
"I was thinking how lucky I am that a man who loves me so much turned around and gavemethe greatest gift he can." Shiny eyes meet mine and her tone softens, filled with what I hope is love that I haven’t completely smothered. "You filled me up with your baby, Luciano. Now every other motherfucker will know you've been there and they never will. I only belong to you."
I can't fucking take any more. My sweet angel talking dirty, repeating back to me the words I whispered in her ear the first time she gave herself to me. I drop to my knees in front of her. Of them. My soul truly alive again with her acceptance of me as our baby’s father.
My cell vibrates again, chiming from the bedroom over and over. Blowing up with messages I don’t give a damn about. All I can fucking think about is taking care of my girl and our child. Soft skin shudders against my lips. Loving both of them more than I thought possible. “Thank you.”
“You’re wel…”
She jerks in my embrace, swaying against me. Forcing me to grab her hips to keep her from falling.
“Oh!”
What the fuck? My head flies up from kissing her stomach at the pain sharpening her gasp. Trembling fingers brush her shirt saturated with red.
Blood.
Fucking blood.
“Something hurt me?”
Confusion coils in her wobbly voice, and she blinks from the scarlet coating her hand before studying me. Wondering what the fuck happened to her. Questioning how I could let someone harm her again.
A flash of metal flickers in the darkness before more shots ring out. Men. Too many to count descending on my house. Hurting my angel.
My fingers dig into her back when I jump up, hustling her inside the house. I swipe my buzzing phone off the side table, finally catching the warning Nick was trying to send me with his slew of messages flooding my screen:Sebastian’s coming.
Fucking shit. I steer her down the hallway. She stumbles on the steps, shock slowing her acceptance of my urgency and ability to walk. Fuck me. I’ve got to protect her. All of them. “Run Molly. Find Eli and hide in the tornado shelter.”
“What? Where?”
“He’ll show you.” She remains frozen, a hollow expression looking right through me. I point toward Eli’s room. “Go, damn it!”
