Page 40 of Cipher's Baby Girl
"None of that now," he hisses in my ear, his breath hot and foul against my skin. "You've caused enough trouble, girlie.”
My first instinct is to submit—the survival response ingrained by years of abuse—but the knowledge of my pregnancy ignites a new, fierce protectiveness. I struggle, kick, and twist, my heel managing to connect with his shin.
I feel a sharp prick in my neck, a cold spreading sensation that makes my heart stutter with panic. No, no, no. Whatever I’ve just been injected with can't be good for my baby. Desperate, I fight harder, but to no avail.
My vision blurs, the world tilting sideways as the drug takes hold. I want to scream, but my mouth won't form words. My tongue is thick and unresponsive. Shadows lengthen and distort. My thoughts turn syrupy and slow, but one thought remains crystal clear—I need to protect my baby.
Through rapidly closing tunnel vision, I see Richard glance nervously over his shoulder before shoving me headfirst into his rusty blue pickup truck.
.
Chapter 17
Cipher
The fuzzy purple bathrobe dangles from my fist as Rose stomps away. Her parting words hit me like a blow to the gut.
I'm done being afraid. I'm done letting my past control my future. Maybe you should try the same.
The Rose who arrived at our compound wouldn't have challenged me, and I’m oddly proud of her.
Still, Rash needs to do better. He’s the one who dropped the ball here. I scan the club, locating that fucker at a table near the bar. His posture displays concern as he scans the venue.
As I cross the floor, Rash's expression shifts from concern to wariness to outright fright. His pulse visibly accelerates at the base of his throat.
"Where’s Rose?" he asks, standing as straight as he can in an attempt to reduce our height difference.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I spit the words at him, rage elevating my blood pressure until my pulse is throbbing.
Confusion crosses his features in a distinctive pattern of micro-expressions. “Say what?"
"Don't insult my intelligence." I remove the pregnancy test from my pocket, holding it between us like evidence at a crime scene. "I found this in her room. What kind of father-to-be lets his baby mama gyrate around in public half naked?!”
Rash stares at the test, then at my face, his expression cycling through several distinct emotional states before settling on incredulity. "Are you fucking serious right now?"
"Completely." I step closer, invading his personal space with calculated precision. "I want to know why you're not taking better care of the mother of your unborn child."
A bark of laughter escapes him. "Jesus Christ, you're even more fucked up than I thought." He runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Yeah, she’s pregnant alright. But the baby isn't mine, you asshole. It's yours."
And the hits keep coming. His words land another gut punch.
"That's impossible," I say aloud, though internally, my mind is calculating. I used protection, but the failure rate of condoms is 2%.
"Is it?" Rash challenges, his voice rising. "Because last I checked, you're the only man she’s ever slept with."
My fingers tighten around the test stick until it cracks in protest. "How do you know?"
“She told me," Rash fires back, standing his ground. "Because, unlike you, I actually talk to her. I listen when she's upset. I don't fuck her and then treat her like she's contaminated the next morning."
Each word strikes with devastating accuracy, hitting vulnerabilities I didn't know were exposed. "Rose and I are?—"
"What? Nothing?" Rash's voice grows louder, drawing attention from nearby patrons. "That's how you treated her, right? Like she was nothing to you? A mistake? Just a convenient fuck?"
My hands clench into fists, body tensing for combat. "You don't understand?—"
"No, I understand perfectly." He steps closer, showing more courage than I would have expected. "You're a coward. You're so fucking scared of caring about someone that you'd rather break her heart than risk your own."
"I did it to protect her," I growl, the justification sounding hollow even to my own ears.
