AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shannon laid her head on my chest, the weight of her womb close to crushing me. She slid her leg over both of mine and wrapped an arm around my middle, holding me to her in a tight embrace. Wet hair soaked my shirt, and her ivory skin was warm from the bath.
“He’s going to push you away.”
Again, Shannon startled me. I jolted, causing the baby to kick my side. I shuddered at the odd feeling. How strange it must feel for her to have someone constantly wiggling beneath her skin.
What did she just say?
“Jack,” Shannon continued, as if I’d asked for clarification aloud. “I know how he deals with stress. And loss. He’ll push you away.”
Her voice was strained, like it took a great amount of energy to speak. It made what she said all the more important.
I combed her long, thick hair away from her face. “He can push all he wants.”
“He’ll make you hate him.” Her words sent a violent warning down my spine, but I didn’t move in case I disturbed the baby again.
“That’s not possible,” I whispered. There was nothing Jack could do that would make me hate him. There was nothing that could change the way I felt about him.
“You will. You’ll hate him, but you’ll love him more. You need to remember that you love him more, okay?”
I was unnerved with her premonition, to say the least. She spoke like Jack’s leaving me was inevitable. Or worse, that I would want to leave him. The idea was asinine.
Realizing Shannon was waiting for an audible response, I muttered an “okay” and let her settle into me.
She fell asleep soon after, whimpering in her slumber. I couldn’t seem to work the ice from my bones, but I didn’t move a muscle. I would lay there for as long as Shannon needed, letting her cuddle my body for comfort. Jack had asked me to be there for her, and that was exactly what I was going to do. I’d already broken one promise.
I wouldn’t be breaking this one.
Chapter Nine
Emma
The next morning, I untangled myself from Shannon’s hold and crept out of the master bedroom, careful not to wake her. It was seven o’clock and she was in serious need of rest, even if it was riddled with sobs.
Guillermo was in the kitchen prepping breakfast. I waved as I entered the sprawling living area. He gave me a lazy salute and continued mixing batter.
I plopped myself on the couch and grabbed my phone, anxious to hear Jack’s voice. I hadn’t heard from him since his text about landing safely the day before, which meant Eoghan hadn’t told him about my visit with Luca Nicoletti. It also meant he was probably too busy to talk.
Fuck, I thought as I perused my notifications. I had five missed calls from my mom, three from my dad and a series of texts from my little sister.
Ella: OMG have u seen the news?
Ella: Mom and Dad r freaking out
Ella: R u still in Greece?
Ella: Dad says he’ll be @ ur apartment in the am
Double fuck. The goddamn news. My parents knew about Connor’s murder, and they’d guessed that I was no longer on vacation. I dialed my dad, hoping to catch him before he left Connecticut.
“Do you know how worried your mother and I have been?” he barked, the engine of his sleek Mercedes purring in the background. He was already on his way to the city.
“I’m sorry, Dad. Things have been nonstop since we got back.” My excuse was even flimsier out loud. I should’ve assumed the media would chomp down on the story of Connor’s death. He was wealthy, mysterious and attractive—the kind of person made for headlines.
“I’m just so happy to hear you’re safe.” The vulnerability in his tone made me feel horrible. I should’ve taken the time to inform my parents that I’d come home early, and the morbid reason for it. “What the hell happened to Jack’s brother?”
I puffed my cheeks, resigning myself to a lie. “We don’t know yet. The FBI are still searching for answers.”
“Are you in danger? You know… Because of Jack’s…work?”
