Page 98 of Roots of the Wicked

“Hey that’s not such a bad idea. It will be easy to sabotage her birth control.”

My eyes fell close, and I prayed. Ho-ly Fuck! If this was another attempt by someone to split us up; it was going to work. If Jax’s eyes were weapons, my family would have been planning my funeral. The words confirming that I was joking during the conversation had been conveniently left out.

Jax leaned across the table, in the same manner she had leaned towards my brother at dinner yesterday. The sight of tears gathering in her eyes, tore at my heart. I reached for her, only to have my hand slapped away.

“How could you do something so despicable? I was ready to agree with you, until this shit. I’m risking one of my worst nightmares getting let loose just to be with you.”

The words I attempted to spit out weren’t making an impact, until I put some base in my voice.

“Jax, the conversation was of me and my friend talking shit. Whoever did this, didn’t play the whole conversation. We were kidding, and—”

She stood in a rush, cutting me off. “I can’t believe you did this, Chase. I can’t believe you trapped me. What the hell is wrong with you?”

What the hell was she talking about? I hadn’t trapped her. Her tears started to flow as she swiped angrily at them. I had never seen her this upset before. Not even when she believed I had leaked those pictures.

“I respected you, Chase. I would have never intentionally done anything to hurt you. I never missed a single pill when we were together.”

“I know. I used to see you taking them.”

She snatched her hand back when I reached for it again.

“No, you don’t understand. You don’t understand a damned thing.”

“That call explains everything. It was you. You and your clever plot to trap me.”

“Me. What? What are you talking about?”

“Like you don’t know, Chase. Imagine my surprise, when I go in for my checkup, and laugh at my doctor when she tells me I’m pregnant.”

My world stopped spinning. I stopped breathing. All movement had stalled, until Jax picked up her knife and pointed it at me. The plum sauce glistened on the knife’s edge like fresh blood. My eyes went wide and shock consumed me as I fought for words or at least to make sounds. I couldn’t think about anything but what she had just revealed.

“You’re p-p-pregnant?” My voice came out low, and shaky as uncertainty raced through my veins and sent my pulse slamming against my jugular.

Jax aimed her knife closer to my face, but her words had me so flustered, I wasn’t in the right mindset to back away.

“Why are you acting surprised? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“You’re pregnant?” My voice grew louder and more demanding.

My gaze landed on her flat stomach, the news short-circuiting my brain and stalling my ability to speak. I’m going to be a father.

My heart flooded with instant happiness, as a smile danced across my lips. Jax’s loud fussing had faded into the background, and I didn’t care that she waved a butter knife in front of my face.

My ears and mouth may as well have been stuffed full of cotton. I was flooded with deafening thoughts of Jax being pregnant with my baby. I had always wanted kids, wondering if I would get lucky enough to find the right woman to share the privilege of raising them with.

When I noticed Jax’s flowing tears, and her body shaking in distress, I jumped from my chair and ran to her. She backed away, shaking the knife at me.

“I’ll never forgive you for this, Chase. You have not only crossed the line this time, you’ve destroyed it. How could you mess with my pills, and do this to me?”

Jax’s words ricocheted through my brain. She believed I had done this. I had, but not in the way she was assuming. I was unable to concentrate on her accusing words, because I kept focusing on her confirmation that she was pregnant.

The harsh words she slung hadn’t yet put an end to the happiness that had so suddenly flooded me. My legs threatened to crumble under the overwhelming weight of the news. Jax proceeded to rip me a new asshole, but I couldn’t care less. She was pregnant. Pregnant!

I stepped into her striking distance, hoping she didn’t rear back and hit me, or worse, stab me. I removed the knife from her hand before placing it on the table and steadying her shaking hands.

“I hope the devil drags your trap-a-woman-planning-ass to the deepest, fiery pits of hell for what you did.”

My words cut through the hail of curse words she was raining down on me.

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