Page 37 of Dark Seduction

“Don’t worry about it,” he waves me off. “Did she ever answer you?”

Pulling out my phone from my pocket, I unlock the screen and open my messages. Next to Mack’s name is a red dot. Dozens of my texts answered in one word.

Sorry.

Anger flares inside of me again. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” I growl.

V’s gaze shifts to me. “What? Did she answer?”

I turn my phone to show him the message string. A perplexed look on her face.

“Dude, that’s... something.” V shakes his head. “I’m getting that feeling of yours.”

“Right?” I answer. “Something isn’t right. This isn’t Mack.”

“The three of us are good, aren’t we?”

“I thought we were,” I admit. “Until she got sick, we were having a great fucking time. Since then, it’s been weird as shit.”

V takes a moment to digest the message before standing up. “We should go check on her. If she’s been silent like this all night, then there’s definitely something going on.” He forces himself to his feet. “You good to drive?”

“You don’t have to come with me,” I say. “Thanks, man. I know she’s a big deal to you, too.”

“You’ve been drinking, man. I’m not about to put you on the road. I’ll grab a set of keys for a cage. I’ll drive.” V claps his hand on my shoulder and nods. “Be right back.”

He disappears into the building and emerges a few minutes later, swinging a pair of keys around his ring finger. V clicks the button. The lights on the van to our left flash.

“Your chariot awakes, asshat. Let’s go get our girl.”

We take off towards Mack’s apartment, the dread of the unknown growing like a fog in my heart. Whatever is happening, we will do whatever it takes to make sure she is safe. No matter how scared we are of the truth.

MACK

I sit there,staring down at the pregnancy test in my trembling hands, disbelief washing over me like a tidal wave. Two pink lines. Two unmistakable, undeniable pink lines. My heart pounds in my chest, and my mind races to make sense of it all. How is this even happening?

We had been careful, so careful. I have an IUD, for crying out loud—a reliable form of contraception. But the evidence before me tells a different story, one that I never expected.

I swallow hard, my throat dry, and a swirl of emotions engulfs me—fear, confusion, and even a hint of wonder. Wonder at the sheer unpredictability of life, at how it can throw a curveball when you least expect it.

My gaze remains fixed on those two pink lines, as if by sheer willpower, I can make them disappear. But they persist, a stark reminder that everything I had come to know and understand about my life is now called into question.

I take a deep, shaky breath, my hands trembling as I set the pregnancy test aside. The room feels suddenly smaller, and the weight of the unknown future presses down on me. What do I do now? How do I even begin to navigate this unexpected turn of events?

As I sit there in stunned silence, the reality of the situation begins to sink in, and I know I can’t keep this to myself. I’ll have to share the news with Burnt and V, the two men who have become such an integral part of my life. But how will they react? We just started this whole thing, and it’s finally getting easier. It’s been amazing.

The pounding on the front door reverberates through the house, jolting me out of my stunned reverie. Burnt and V’s voices filter through the door, laced with concern, and I can tell they’re not going to just go away if I don’t answer.

I scramble to my feet, my heart still racing from the shock of the pregnancy test results. My mind races, trying to figure out how to handle this unexpected situation. I can’t keep them waiting at the door, but I’m not ready to face them yet, not with this life-altering news weighing on my shoulders.

With trembling hands, I stash the pregnancy test in a drawer and splash some water on my face, trying to regain my composure. My reflection in the bathroom mirror appears as frazzled as I feel. I need a moment to collect my thoughts, to find the right words to share this startling revelation with them.

Taking a deep breath, I finally approach the front door. Their voices grow louder, their worry palpable, and I can’t keep them in the dark any longer. I turn the doorknob, and there they stand, Burnt and V, their faces etched with concern and confusion.

“Mack, what’s going on? We’ve been calling you,” Burnt says, his eyes scanning my face for answers. His frustration is palpable as he speaks, his voice tinged with hurt. “I got patched in tonight. It was important for me to have you there.”

I can see the confusion in V’s eyes as he watches the exchange. The weight of my secret grows heavier with every passing second. V’s concern deepens as he notices the trembling in my hands and the clear distress in my expression. His anger, if there was any, has shifted to a genuine worry. “Mack, seriously, what’s wrong? You’re scaring us.”

I take a shaky breath, my resolve to reveal the truth strengthening with his concern. “Fine, you want to know what’s wrong?” I say, my voice quivering with emotion. Without waiting for a response, I stride towards the bathroom, my footsteps echoing in the tense silence that has settled over us.

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