He yanked me toward him by lacing his finger through my belt loop. He rubbed my lower belly as if he was wishing I was already pregnant. “It’s about time you admit it.”
“When did I ever have to? You’ve known.”
“Yeah, but hearing you say it makes me a very happy man.”
I glanced at the clock again, cursing when I noticed I only had thirty minutes now. How did thirty minutes go by? I was just getting dressed and stealing kisses in between whatever I was doing. The man would make me late to my own wedding if he had any say.
Actually, if he and I were to get married, both of us would be late to the altar. My makeup would be ruined, and my expensive hairstyle would be wreck cause no doubt would he make sure he would fuck me.
“What are you thinking about?” He raised his arms above his head, making himself comfortable on the bed as he tucked the pillow into a more comfortable position.
“Nothing,” I squeaked, but my fair skin gave my lie away.
“Another lie. You are just asking for your ass to stay red, aren’t you?”
I grabbed my purse and slid it over my shoulder, leaned down to give him a goodbye kiss like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. His hair framed his face without its usual styling products in it, and it made me want to lay back down and run my fingers through his hair until he fell asleep. “Maybe, but I need to go. Are you going to be here when I get back?”
“I have a meeting, but I think I’ll lay here, naked, and make this meeting a phone call instead, so I’m ready for you when you get home.”
“Ready for me?” The slick between my thighs reminded me that I was ready for him now.
“Oh, I’m nowhere near done with you. I’ll never be. You better get used to always getting fucked, baby.”
God, he was going to ruin me.
Before I decided to miss my appointment and lay at his mercy, I ran out the door like the devil was on my heels and heard his villainous laugh behind me. I paused at the door and remembered Brian was somewhere out there. Maybe I shouldn’t be going out alone. Maria was at the tattoo shop early, prepping for the charity event she had for the animal shelter. She had drawn up a few tattoos, and anyone who got one, the money went straight to the shelter. Maria did it every other month apparently, and it was how she had earned such a long client list.
Logan was still asleep, and Godrick had that meeting, but I knew if I asked him, he’d come with me. I took a step out the door alone, making the decision myself. I had pepper spray in my purse and a new strength inside me that made me less afraid of Brian. I was ready to fight. My doctor’s office was only down the street, so I was able to walk, and with the crowds of people, Brian wouldn’t have the opportunity to do anything.
The sun was hot when I stepped out of the building, and the smell of hot dogs was strong, but my stomach turned inside of grumbled. I placed a hand on my lower belly and tried not to puke. That was new. I shook it off and punched in the directions on my phone just in case, so I didn’t miss the office and began to walk. The further away I got from the smell of hot dogs, the better I felt.
Ten minutes later, I was in my doctor’s office, sitting on the table with the thin paper covering it, and it crinkled. It drove me nuts.
“Knock, knock,” the doctor said as she entered. “You must be Lucy. I’m Dr. Carrington. It’s nice to meet you.” She glanced over my medical chart, and her brows did a little pinch, and her mouth parted in an O shape.
I didn’t like that. What did that mean?
“Lucy, how long have you been on this brand of birth control?”
“Hmmm, it’s been over a year now since I switched.”
“Is there a chance you might be pregnant?”
I shake my head. “I take my pill on time every day.”
“But you did get the notification that your birth control got recalled, didn’t you? Did your old doctor’s office not tell you?” She sat down on the rolling chair, writing something down in her chart.
My palms started to sweat when her words played on repeat in my head. “What? No. No, they didn’t. Why would it get recalled?”
“So there is a chance you could be pregnant? Are you sexually active?”
“Yes, oh god,” I ran over to the trashcan and pushed my hair out of my face. “I’m going to be sick.”
“This birth control brand placed placebos in the second to last week before the actual placebos, for the week of your period. You were only protected for two weeks out of the month.”
I felt faint. “I’m going to pass out.”
“Let’s take a test. We will know in three minutes.”
Only she didn’t say it would be the longest three minutes of my fucking life.
Pregnant.
It said so right there. I decided not to tell Godrick because apart of me didn’t believe it.
“Do you have any questions?” she asked, calm as a damn cucumber as she clicked her pen.
Did I have any questions? Lady, I had a ton.
Chapter Twenty-One
Godrick
Ever since Lucy’s doctor’s appointment two weeks ago, things have been off. Something happened, and she wouldn’t tell me. It had nothing to do with Brian, that much I knew. She didn’t have fear on her face; it was more like she was lost in her head, and I couldn’t figure out what it was. The waiting was killing me. She never talked to me when something was on her mind. She waited and waited until I bent her over and spanked her.
I didn’t want to always have to do that. I enjoyed it, but I wanted her to feel safe talking to me. It was why I was leaving work early to go to her apartment to talk to her. She needed to start communicating. She hadn’t shown up to work today, and this morning, it worried me because it wasn’t like her not to show up. Logan said she hadn’t felt well but was fine when he left this morning to come to work.
She hadn’t answered my calls, my texts, and I couldn’t think straight. I had to know she was okay.
I was at the building I owned in less than fifteen minutes. My gut turned as I stared at the doors. Something was wrong. I felt it. I slung open the metal door and raced inside. I didn’t bother waiting for the elevator, I ran to the stairwell and climbed three steps at a time, pulling myself up with the rail. I was sweating, the salt stung my eyes, but I didn’t waste a second wiping the droplets away. It was time that mattered. Time when Lucy needed me.
I knew she did. I felt it.
When I got to the seventh floor, I was gasping, my shirt stuck to my back, and when I glanced to the left toward her door, I saw that it was cracked open. She never left it open. “Lucy!” I yelled at the top of my lungs and kicked her door in. It slammed against the wall, denting the paint and crumbling it to the floor.
Horror.
Pure fucking horror made my world tilt and come to a complete stop with the disaster I saw in front of me. “Lucy! Lucy, baby! Answer me!” I screamed, but there was no answer in return.
Her apartment was trashed. Pots and pans on the floor, the dining room table was snapped in half; the couches were cut, the stuffing flowing out of them. “Lucy,” my voice broke, my legs like jello as I made my way through the trashed apartment. “God, please, answer me, baby. Answer me.” But my worst fear was playing right in front of me, just like a horror movie. Pictures were broken, and Lucy’s bedroom door was kicked in, the wood broken.
It took a lot of force to do that to a door. My hand squeezed my chest, the spot right above my heart at the thought of her kicking and screaming to get away from her attacker.
Brian.
It had to have been. That crazy son of a bitch took it took far. I was going to kill him with my bare hands. For the first time since I could remember, a tear broke free when I saw droplets of blood on the carpet. I bent down and rubbed my fingers through it. It was dry.
This happened hours ago.
Hours.
I had been at work while she had been fighting for her life. I felt sick. I took out my phone and cal
led Officer Cortez. “Mr. Stoneridge, how can I help you on this fine day?” he yawned on the other end of the phone.
“She’s gone.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“She’s gone, Cortez! She’s fucking gone!” I started to hyperventilate. I bent down to try and breathe, but it wasn’t working. I wouldn’t fully breathe again until I had Lucy safe in my arms.
“You need to start from the beginning. I’m on my way.” His sirens blared on the other end of the phone. He really was on his way.
I looked all around the apartment for a clue of her, to let me know if she was alright, but all I saw was the broken lamp, the busted tv where it looked like someone’s head rammed into it, and I was back to not breathing. “Her apartment door was open. It trashed. She isn’t here. It’s Brian. He took her. I know he did. I feel it, Cortez. I’m going to kill him!”
“Don’t let me hear you say that because if he does end up dead, I’ll have to interrogate you.”
“Just fucking get here and find her!” I hit the end button on my phone as hard as I possibly could and pinched the bridge of my nose to try and get my shit together. I had to call her brother. I dialed his number next, and at first, he didn’t answer. “Pick up the fucking phone, Green,” I cursed when it rang again.
“Hey, Mr. Stoneridge.”
“Don’t Mr. Stoneridge me. I don’t give a fuck who you are with. Get to your apartment now. Lucy is missing. Your apartment is trashed.”
“No,” he whispered at the same time a clank of metal fell to the ground at the worksite he was at. “No, no, no!” he roared. “She has to be there. If he has her…”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” I warned. I didn’t want to think about what would happen to her. Horrible things played in my mind. I pictured him hitting her, stealing kisses, forcing himself on her, and I screamed bloody murder at the top of my lungs, smashing my fist against a nearby wall. My knuckles bled, but I didn’t care. “Get here.”
The next person I called was Haden. I hadn’t seen him in ages because I had been so busy with Lucy. I hadn’t been a good friend, and I hoped like hell he wasn’t angry with me and would there when I needed him most.
“Hey stranger,” he answered happily, just like him. He always sounded like nothing put him in a bad mood.
I fell against the wall and slid down it, giving in to my bodies need to fall. I couldn’t hold myself up anymore. “Haden, I really need you to come to Lucy’s.”
“What happened?” The playfulness left his voice, and I knew when I told him what happened, he’d be on his way in a heartbeat. “Talk to me.”
I couldn’t.
“Godrick, talk to me. I can’t help if you don’t speak.”
“Something happened,” I said as my vision blurred, and wetness touched my cheeks. I was crying. “She has a stalker. He has been leaving notes, flowers, and he found her the other day. She isn’t here, man. The place is a wreck. I’m about to lose it. She’s it, Haden. She’s the love of my fucking life, and she isn’t here.”
“She’s fine. I bet she is okay. Stalkers like him usually want women to themselves. It will be fine. Think positive. And don’t touch anything. We need pictures because once we build a case against this asshole, we are going to put him away for a long time.”
“I’m going to kill him, Haden.” A murderous urge made me lose all sense of reality. I didn’t give a damn about consequences; I wanted his blood on my hands for taking what was mine. I should have been here. I should have been protecting her. I gave her space when I shouldn’t have. I knew better, but I was so afraid of smothering her and losing her that I ignored my instincts.
Never again.
Haden sighed on the other end, but I knew it was him giving into the idea. I knew if I did something bad, he’d be the person I could call and help me get out of it. “Do I need to bring a shovel? Are we digging a grave?”
“No. The bastard doesn’t deserve a grave.” I rubbed my fingers through my hair from stress, slightly tugging because I wanted to feel pain. I deserved it for what I let happen to her. It wasn’t right.
“Holy shit.”
I jerked my head to the right, keeping the back of my skull against the wall as I saw Officer Cortez enter the apartment. He got out his phone and snapped pictures and then called for backup because now this was a possible abduction.
Well, that was what he said on over the radio, but he knew just as well as I did that it was, especially with the threat of Brian that always lingered. I hung up the phone as I stared at Cortez, my blood boiling. This was all the cops’ fault. If they didn’t have to wait until her well being was in danger, none of this would have happened.
I stood on shaky legs and charged forward like a bull, readying to tackle the fucker to the ground. Why hadn’t he done anything to prevent this? Why didn’t I?
“Woah,” Logan took the hit, blocking what belonged to Cortez and held me steady, stopping me from killing a cop and a friend. “Calm down. It won’t do anyone any good if you get arrested for assaulting a police officer. All of our efforts and energy need to be focused on getting her back. Okay?” Logan barricaded me in his arms, planting his feet on the floor as I pushed against him. “Stop it,” he said as I shouldered my way into his chest. “Stop,” he pushed his weight on me, and I stumbled back, slamming against the edge of the wall.
It hurt, but I welcomed the pain.
“Where is she, Logan?” I sounded so pathetic, like a song of a broken man.
I could tell Logan was distraught, but I was fucking losing it. He ran his hands through his garnet-colored hair and cursed. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! This cannot be happening. Has she talked to you lately? Did she tell you what was going on with her?”
“What was going on?” Cortez asked as he finished writing in his notepad. “What are you talking about? I need to know everything.”
The door opened again, and Haden walked in, a shovel against his shoulder. “I brought it just in case,” he said.
It would usually make me smile, but nothing would take this frown of misery off my face.
“Lucy hadn’t told you?” Logan repeated, but I shook my head as he spoke.
“It was why I came over today. I wanted to check on her. She hasn’t been her normal self over the last few weeks.”
A haunting expression wrinkled his face. His eyes were red, and he rubbed a hand over his mouth, stressed.
“We need to know everything. If you know something, Logan, now is the time to tell us.”
Right as Logan opened his mouth, a gasp from the doorway made all of us turn our heads to see Maria. Cortez ran over to her and hugged her; she cried immediately, soul-wrenching sobs. “I came to see what the commotion was. What happened? Where is Lucy?”
“We don’t know. We think she is with Brian,” Cortez said.
“She isn’t with him!” Logan was about to kill Cortez now. “You make it sound like she is with him willingly.”
“It’s not what I meant by that. I’m sorry.”
“Gabriel, what else is going on?” Maria rubbed her nose against her shirt, her ocean eyes leaking their salty water as she looked to him for answers.
He shook his head, pushing her blonde hair out of her face. “I don’t know. Logan is about to tell us.”
Logan turned his attention back on me, and his skin turned an ugly shade of pale light green like he was about to throw up. “I found the summary from her doctor’s visit.”
I knew that was what she was keeping from me. “And?”
“Godrick,” he sighed. “Fuck, I can’t believe she hadn’t said anything yet.”
“Out with it!” my throat bled from the strain of the scream.
“She’s pregnant.”
Everyone stopped breathing, moving, thinking. Nothing could be heard besides the air whooshing from the vent, or maybe that was me. I couldn’t seem to control the speed of my breaths. I was happy, or I would have been if my fear didn’t just go up a million deci
bels. “She’s pregnant?” My eyes watered, and I tripped over my own two feet, stumbling in the living room until I fell on my knees, the carpet of the living room rubbing against them. “With my baby? She’s pregnant? No.” I shook my head in denial because not only was I not here for her, but our baby. “God.” I caught myself on my hands. “She’s pregnant.”
I didn’t care what I had to do. I’d fight to the death.
Brian’s death.
And I wouldn’t rest until I had my family back.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lucy
I winced as I rolled over, the only light in the room struck across my face. The curtains were black, but there was a tear in one of them, sending the sun over my eyes. My head pounded so hard like there were fists inside my skull, fighting each other to try and get out. What happened? I tried to sit up, but my hands were tied behind my back, and my ribs hurt, making it difficult to breathe.
Everything hurt. I was in pain everywhere. I looked around and didn’t recognize where I was. What happened? The last thing I remembered was waking up from my nap because the morning sickness was really kicking my ass and then…
My breath hitched.
Brian.
Brian happened.
He broke into my apartment and held a gun to my head, and when I bent over and puked all over his shoes, he slammed the butt of the gun against my temple. When he picked me up, I bit his hand, clawed his face, kicked him. We ran into everything in the apartment; it was trashed. Brian didn’t take it easy on me.
He took me.
I began to cry, tugging at the ropes behind my back. I wanted to feel my stomach. It was too early to feel the little bean move, but I wanted to comfort him or her. God, I hoped the baby was okay. Brian had kicked me in the stomach, that much I remember too, and if anything happened to my baby, I’d kill Brian.
“I brought you food.”
I screamed from Brian’s unexpected entrance.
“Oh, love. I’m so sorry. I never want to scare you.”
“What the hell do you think this is, Brian? A vacation?” I tugged on the ropes around my wrist. “This hurts. I’m in pain. Please, I need my hands to eat.”
Kiss my Boss (Plot Twist, I'm Pregnant Book 1) Page 16
