AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What about our baby?” I choked out, my heart pounding against the cage of my ribs. The fact that our child was growing inside her only made my desperation more acute. I couldn’t lose them. I couldn’t let them walk away from me.
“Staying in a remote cabin with no prenatal care doesn’t seem like a spectacular idea,” she replied.
Her voice was sarcastic, biting, but beneath the bravado there was fear– a visceral terror that cut right to my heart. I couldn’t keep manhandling her; she needed coaxing, gentleness.
And once I had her convinced she was safe…then I’d chain her to the fucking bed if it meant actually keeping her safe.
“Adriana,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, “I’m not doing this to harm you, or our baby. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“You think keeping me captive here is for my safety?” she said, venom lacing her words. “You think any of this is okay? This isn’t what I signed up for when I thought about telling you. I should have just kept it to myself.”
“You’re not still thinking about getting rid of it, are you?”
She turned to look at me, her eyes narrow. “What are my options here, Tristan?” she asked. “Have my kidnapper’s baby? Stay in hiding for…for how long? Forever?”
Kidnapper? I held back the urge to wince. I faltered, not knowing how to answer. I hadn’t expected her to feel so cornered, so threatened. I was trying to protect her, yet I managed to make her feel more unsafe than ever.
And fuck–of course she felt that way.
She’d run into me when I still had blood on my hands. I’d spurned her, broken off our engagement, then I’d isolated her. I’d grabbed her wrist, taken her phone by force.
I wanted her to feel safe.
But more than that, I wasn’t going to let her hurt my kid.
“No,” I said, finding my voice, “You can’t get rid of it, Adriana. This isn’t just your decision.”
Her shoulders tensed at my words, a visible chill running through her. A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. “Isn’t it?” she questioned harshly.
“You should know better than anyone that family is everything in this business,” I said. “You’re carrying my heir, Adriana. I’m Malachy Callahan’s oldest son. You’re an Orsini, for fuck’s sake. That kid…that kid is more important than either of us.”.”
“So I’m just an incubator for your baby?”
“No!” I snapped. “You’re…reckless, and annoyingly smart, but I–”
I paused. Couldn’t say I loved her.
I didn’t even know her.
“--I like you Adriana, and I want to be there for you.”
“I don’t want you to be there for me. I don’t want any of this,” she said. “I want to go home and have the hottest bath ever. Until my skin burns off. Better than being here.”
“And do what?” I asked. “Run? What do you think is going to happen when you get back? You don’t think the Rossis will be waiting? Now that you’re pregnant, it doesn’t matter if you keep the baby or not–you’re in this with me.”
“I don’t care,” she shot back, her voice thick with emotion. “I’d rather face that than be stuck here with you.”
“This isn’t about what you want. You think I want to be here? Stuck with a woman who hates me?” I asked her, my temper rising.
She scoffed, turning away from me. “I’ve put up with worse.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” I spat back, the anger surging through my veins.
“Figure it out!” she shouted, startling both of us with the sudden intensity of her voice. It echoed off the trees surrounding us before falling into a strained silence.
I watched as she took a deep breath, clenching her fists at her sides.
Her back to me, Adriana’s voice grew softer, but no less fierce. “I don’t need you to protect me. If our families are at war, then I’m already a part of it. You can’t keep me from my fate.” She began walking towards the trees, her figure growing smaller with each step.
