Page 17 of Truth (Wicked Empire 2)

“I’m good. Thank you,” I said.

“Okay, then,” he said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I’m right next door if you do.”

“Thanks,” I said with a smile.

I went inside, closed the door, and forgot about Chris, and Jennifer Jones.

I had chosen my new name from a list of the most popular names of the twentieth century. But I knew that wouldn’t be enough to deter Davit forever, which was why I kept moving.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’d allowed myself to breathe a little bit.

In those first days, I’d been convinced that Davit was hiding around every corner. He didn’t know about the baby, but I knew he’d want an explanation for why I’d left, and that was something I couldn’t give him.

But, eventually, he’d give up.

The thing between us had been convenience on his part and insanity on mine. Once it became clear that I wasn’t a threat to his business, he’d move on and forget about me.

What about the baby?

I felt myself frowning at the thought. I carried near crushing guilt at the thought of keeping the baby from him. But that was my burden to carry. I loved this baby more than anything, and I had to do whatever it took to protect it.

Even from its father.

Even from myself, if it came to that.

So I’d deal with the guilt and do what I had to.

I’d also deal with the loneliness, would deal with anything to protect us.

I ate my dinner, watched a mindless crime drama on TV, and then lay down.

This life was exhausting, both physically and emotionally, but I would get through it. Because as much as I wanted it to be different, it couldn’t be.

When I was younger, I had fantasized about my husband and I finding out we were pregnant, going to all our doctor’s appointments together, how I would feel when I held my child in my arms.

The love that would be there, the family I had always wanted so desperately.

But that wasn’t to be.

The father of my child was a killer.

And a liar.

It spoke poorly of me that I couldn’t decide which was worse. In truth, I could accept Davit’s reasons for killing Keenan. Even appreciate them, as fucked up as that was.

But for him to conspire with my father and not tell me…

I sighed, closed my eyes, trying to fight the tears that came far too easily these days.

It was the hormones, and I reminded myself of that.

Hormones or not, it was sometimes hard for me to wrap my head around everything that had happened, the predicament I found myself in now.

Davit was a stranger to me, a dangerous and deadly one.

But my father…

To think that I’d trusted him.

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