Page 133 of Merciless Desires

“Because my twin is a reckless drug addict?”

“Maybe.” She takes a breath. “He was fun. For about six months.”

I’m torn between how much I want to know about their relationships but also dread bringing a look of horror to her face. Her lawyer said in court that Cormac kept her a prisoner. That tells me what I need to know about where the relationship stands now. The look of that disgusting motel room and how she acted in it reinforces what she told her lawyer. Even if she slept in the same bed with Cormac, it sounds like he didn’t give her a choice.

Fuck, I have to hire him a lawyer. And I have to call home to tell my brothers what happened. Tell them that Cormac not only got Anastasia Koslov pregnant, but was keeping her a prisoner. I’m not sure which part of the story will piss off Kieran more.

But I’m keeping her a prisoner, too. Even if it’s for her own good.

I sip the tea and let the silence stretch out between us while I sort out my feelings. For her. I’m fighting an attraction that will get me into just as much trouble. How she took over and saved my daughter knocked me sideways.

But she wants to disappear into the shadows again. I’m prepared to help her. Only, she can’t take the baby. She can’t live on the run with an infant. My family will want this child, especially if it’s a boy.

“Thank you again for before.” I raise the mug to punctuate the eerie silence.

“You’re welcome. Again.” She sips the tea, her greedy mouth wide around the rim of the mug.

My cock hardens, but I remember something that sends the pulse in my neck throbbing. I have a date tonight. Not a real date. I roll my eyes at the absurdity my life turned into. A few weeks ago, I hired an escort to meet me at the Canterbury Hotel downtown tonight. After months of hedging, I reached out to a service a friend uses. A tech billionaire who goes to the same gym recommended this woman highly.

Deciding to fuck someone meant I was technically cheating on Ginnifer. But my decision to do this, to find sexual relief outside my marriage since the woman I said vows with never plans to come home, forced me to accept my reality.

That same night, I texted Ginny with my plans and waited for the phone to ring. Prayed for her tears and the words I’m coming home to drop from her lips. I even sent the message in the middle of the night when I knew she’d be awake.

No call came.

No tears.

Just a reply text:

Ginny: I understand. I met someone here, too. A doctor. But I haven’t done anything. I was waiting.

Me: Waiting for what? I replied, crushed, but relieved.

Ginny: For you to break first. I’m impressed it’s taken this long, D. Go, live your life, just do not neglect our daughter.

The hypocrisy choked me. Then again, she didn’t want to get pregnant and never loved me. I shudder at what she would have done had I shrugged off my responsibility. I tried to make Ginny something she’s not.

Am I making the same mistake with Ana?

The only thing clear to me right now is I have to cancel that ‘date.’ Given the hour, I’ll still have to pay. But I’m not leaving Sophie alone after what happened. I also don’t feel right leaving her with Ana. Although, she proved capable and trustworthy. She had a chance at freedom. With my daughter’s phone, an Uber app, and the money loaded onto an e-wallet, Ana could have been hundreds of miles away by now.

“I’ll be in my office,” I say to Ana, and take my mug with me. “Oh, I defrosted some steaks for the grill tonight. Do you eat meat?”

“I sure do.” Her eyes land on my groin, still swollen from watching her gulp the tea, her throat working down the warm liquid.

Picturing her swallowing my hot cum is something I need to get out of my head immediately.

I grip my phone, struggling through this three-way call with a lawyer and Tamryn.

“Just get those charges dropped, Lincoln,” I bite out. “Dig up dirt on the prosecutor. Anything. I’ll pay whatever you need.”

“Then what?” Tamryn jumps in.

That’s the question, isn’t it? What do I do with Cormac? I planned to bring him home to Seattle and get him into rehab. But I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter or Anastasia. I honestly worry he’ll kill Ana and dump her body in the Sound to hide what he did.

“I can make the prosecutor agree to court-mandated rehab.” Lincoln has a sweet gig, being paid a fortune for one trip to Vegas and five minutes in a courtroom. “There’s a place in Malibu and one in Phoenix that has security to keep remanded clients there.”

“I’ll make sure she agrees,” Tamryn speaks like an Irish thug from Astoria. “With a name like Reilly, the lassie should know who to be loyal to.”

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