Page 139 of Merciless Desires

“Absolutely.” I turn the griddle back on and ladle up a few small dollops, remembering how I loved silver dollar pancakes as a kid.

Darragh cups her shoulder. “Sophie, after breakfast, we’re going to the hospital to listen to Ana’s baby.”

She looks up with wide eyes. “How do we hear the baby?”

“It’s called an ultrasound machine,” I answer while Darragh sneers at his phone, possibly from poor nanny candidates.

“That sounds so cool.” Sophie takes her plate and stabs each of the pancakes, shoving them into her little mouth.

I pull the plate away. “Hey, slow down, speed racer. We’re in no rush.”

She chews and chews, rolling her eyes, nodding. When I think she gets it, I put her plate back.

I notice a few ripe bananas on a hook, take one down, and peel it. Darragh watches me with an eyebrow raised. For fun, I turn away from Sophie and lick the tip.

He drops the phone.

Laughing, I take a butter knife and cut that part away and slice up chunks for Sophie.

“Thank. You.” She picks up a few slices and folds them into one of the pancakes.

Darragh peels another banana and says, “We need to stop at the grocery store, too.”

“Sounds like we have a full day.” I put my plate in the dishwasher. “I need a shower.”

Darragh’s eyes follow me. I lock into my memory of how he looks shirtless, turned on with that rumpled hair, because that bathroom has one sweet removable shower head.

The ultrasound makes it official. I’m having a boy.

“Do you hear that, Sophie?” I ask her about the whoosh-whooshing of my baby’s heartbeat.

“He’s so little.” She stares at the screen in amazement.

This baby is her cousin and her brother, in some twisted genetic fashion. Yet, she thinks I’m just some knocked-up stranger she’ll never see again.

That’s true, I guess. After my baby is born, we’re leaving. I have to get through these next couple of weeks with Darragh and convince him to help me.

Playing nice, I agree to a shopping spree at the mall. Darragh buys us lunch, and after, Sophie begs her daddy to take her on a train ride that circles the whole mall.

He hands me a credit card. “This is Ginny’s Amex. Shop for whatever you want.” When I go to take it, he pulls it back. “I’m trusting you, Anastasia Koslov.”

Signaling with one call to his brother, Balor, and a stolen credit card number, they’d track me down like a dog.

“How much can I spend?” I look at the card that reads: Ginnifer Dailey O’Rourke.

His warm green eyes light up. “Spend what you need to.”

“What I need, I can’t buy here.” I take the card and stalk off.

In the fancy maternity boutique, I consider how big I am. And since I have no reason to leave the house, I opt for loungewear, a few sweaters, two pairs of nice jeans, and a few sleep sets. The sales lady reminds me to buy new bras and underwear. She doesn’t ask for ID to charge thousands of dollars to Darragh’s wife’s credit card.

Back at the house, Sophie proudly sticks the little black and white photos from the ultrasound on the refrigerator. “My friend Emily from Brownies has her baby sister’s photos on their fridge.”

Darragh and I freeze and sneak a look at each other.

“Sophie, those photos belong to Ana,” her father says, sounding guilty.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She blushes, looking so sad.

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